Estonia’s U21 side once again had to settle for a draw in their European Championship qualifying campaign, this time finishing 2-2 at home against Luxembourg. The young Estonians showed real spirit to recover from an early setback, but a late mistake meant victory slipped away once more.
The match began at a furious pace under the rhythm of drums and cheering fans at Kadrioru stadium. Barely a minute had passed when Tony Varjund chased down a long pass into the corner and cut inside dangerously, only for his cross to be blocked by a defender.
Estonia looked confident in possession, but their early enthusiasm was punished when Luxembourg took the lead in the eighth minute. A cross from the right caused confusion in the Estonian box – neither Kristofer Käit nor Oscar Pihela managed to deal with it – and Fabio Lohei snuck in at the far post to make it 0-1.
Luxembourg nearly doubled their advantage midway through the first half, but goalkeeper Ott Nõmm reacted brilliantly to keep his side in the game. That moment turned the momentum, and Estonia struck back before halftime. After a sharp exchange of passes, Jegor Žuravljov played a perfectly timed ball to Kristjan Kriis and then joined the attack himself. His pass across the box found Rommi Siht, who made no mistake with a composed finish to level the score at 1-1.
The second half saw Estonia grow in confidence. On 59 minutes, a patient build-up ended with Oskar Hõim finding Sander Tovstik on the left flank. The young full-back burst into the penalty area and sent a low cross into the middle, where Stanislav Agaptšev met it first time to put Estonia 2-1 ahead.
The lead, however, didn’t last. Luxembourg first hit the crossbar and then won a penalty when the ball struck Käit’s hand in the area. Diego Duarte sent Nõmm the wrong way to make it 2-2.
Estonia came agonizingly close to reclaiming the lead when Siht’s powerful shot crashed off the post after another clever combination between Tovstik and Varjund. Luxembourg also had a late chance, but neither side could find a decisive goal.
When the final whistle blew, the scoreboard told a familiar story. Estonia’s U21s had once again shown fight and creativity, but the win they deserved just managed to escape their grasp.
In three days a big test will be for Estonian U21 side as they will play an away game against French U21 team who in their game today got a 6:0 win away against Faroe Island.
