The international break is over and the Premium Liiga returns with a potentially pivotal clash in Tartu as Tammeka host Flora with both sides desperate to build momentum.
Friday’s fourth-round fixture sees two teams locked on three points apiece, each having managed just one victory from their opening three matches. Tammeka sit seventh in the table, one place below their visitors in sixth, but will take heart from their 3-2 triumph over Nõmme United immediately before the break.
That victory ended a frustrating start for Karel Voolaid’s men, who had opened their campaign with defeats to Nõmme Kalju (1-0) and Kuressaare (3-2). The Tammeka head coach believes unity will be crucial if his side are to claim another scalp.
“To succeed, we have to play together,” Voolaid said. “We need to play with a big heart, with real commitment, and give our maximum. Our aim is to make the home supporters happy. The win over Nõmme United before the international break gave the team a lot of positive emotion, and that good mood has been clear in training over the past two weeks.”
Voolaid added that this season’s unpredictable opening weeks have demonstrated how quickly fortunes can shift. “Most teams are still searching for consistency,” he noted.
Flora, meanwhile, arrive in Tartu looking to halt a two-match losing streak that has soured their promising start. After opening with a commanding 3-0 win over Nõmme United, the Tallinn side have since fallen to Nõmme Kalju and Harju Laagri.
Their task is complicated by the timing of the international break. Goalkeeping coach Aiko Orgla revealed the squad will only be fully reunited a day before kick-off, leaving minimal preparation time.
“We get the whole squad back together only the day before the match, so in that time we have to quickly go over the basics again and restore our understanding on the pitch,” Orgla explained. “Challenges are there to be overcome, and we will be properly ready for this game.”
Centre-back Mihhail Kolobov acknowledged Flora had struggled to find their rhythm prior to the break but insisted the squad had used the hiatus wisely. “The players had used the time to prepare thoroughly, especially mentally, after a difficult period,” he said. “The team now wanted to show in Tartu, to themselves and to their supporters, that they were capable of producing good football.”
History favours the visitors. Flora completed a clean sweep of Tammeka last season, winning all four league encounters, though they were pushed hard on each occasion, conceding in every match.
With both sides desperate to climb the table and find consistency, Friday evening in Tartu promises a compelling game of football as the Premium Liiga season resumes.
