FK Auda’s UEFA Conference League campaign came to an end in the third qualifying round after the Latvian side suffered a 0-4 defeat away to Albanian club Dinamo City, losing the tie 1-4 on aggregate.
Holding a narrow 1-0 advantage from last week’s first leg at Skonto Stadium, Auda travelled to Elbasan knowing they faced a difficult task in hostile conditions. After a relatively quiet opening half-hour, the hosts found the breakthrough in the 36th minute when Eriddon Qardaku drilled a low finish into the bottom corner to level the tie on aggregate.
Dinamo City completed the turnaround just before the interval. Following a corner kick, Klevi Qefalia reacted quickest inside the penalty area to score and hand the Albanian side the aggregate lead heading into half-time.
Needing at least one goal after the break, Auda instead saw the tie slip further away early in the second half. Malomo Ayodeji was left completely unmarked inside the box and made no mistake, extending Dinamo City’s advantage to 3-0 on the night and 3-1 on aggregate.
The hosts added a fourth goal later in the match to seal an emphatic victory and book their place in the UEFA Conference League play-off round.
The defeat was made even more painful for Auda when captain Eduards Dašķevičs suffered what appeared to be a serious ankle injury during the second half. The Latvian international was unable to put any weight on his leg as he left the pitch, raising concerns over the severity of the injury.
Despite the disappointing exit, Auda can look back on a memorable European summer. Didier Zanetti’s side reached the third qualifying round for only the second time in club history and recorded three victories in four European matches, including a historic triumph over Romanian giants FCSB. Their attention now turns fully to the Virslīga and the defence of the Latvian Cup.
Dinamo City vs FK Auda – 4-0 (2-0) – 4-1 on aggregate
Goals: Qardaku 36′, Qefalia 45′, Ayodeji 52′, Fadairo 79′
