Estonian champions Flora Tallinn will head into next week’s second leg with work to do after falling to a 0-2 defeat away to Andorran champions Inter d’Escaldes in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie.
It was a tough evening for Flora as the hosts immediately seized the initiative. Inter enjoyed the majority of possession and were rewarded after only five minutes when a cross into the penalty area caused confusion in Flora’s defence. Kolobov failed to fully deal with the delivery, allowing Chouaib to pounce on the loose ball and finish from a tight angle for 1-0.
Flora struggled to establish themselves during the opening half. The Estonian champions rarely threatened going forward and spent long periods defending, while Inter continued to create the better chances. Grünvald was forced into several important saves as the hosts repeatedly found space around the penalty area.
Their best move came just before the interval when KVladislav Kreida, Rauno Sappinen and Sander Alamaa combined neatly, but the final pass narrowly evaded its intended target. Nevertheless, Flora went into half-time trailing 0-1 after being outshot 2-13.
The second half began in far more encouraging fashion for the Estonian champions. Flora pressed higher and immediately looked more dangerous, with Alamaa causing problems down the left flank. Their best opportunity arrived in the 50th minute when Zenjov’s dangerous cross flashed across goal. Kalimullin failed to connect before the ball unexpectedly reached Rauno Sappinen, whose hurried finish lacked conviction.
Moments later Kalimullin and Alamaa both tested the Inter defence as Flora briefly enjoyed their strongest spell of the match, but the equaliser never arrived.
Instead, Inter struck a decisive second goal just after the hour mark. David Lopez’s initial effort was saved by Grünvald, but the rebound fell kindly for Berlanga, who reacted quickest to convert from close range and double the home side’s advantage.
Flora pushed forward during the final half-hour and created a handful of set-piece situations, yet clear opportunities remained scarce. Long-range efforts from Kuraksin and Alliku were comfortably dealt with by goalkeeper Diaz, while Kolobov headed over from one of the final attacks in stoppage time.
The 0-2 defeat leaves Flora with a significant challenge ahead in Tallinn next week, where the Estonian champions must overturn a two-goal deficit to keep alive their hopes of reaching the UEFA Conference League play-off round.
Inter d’Escaldes vs Flora Tallinn – 2-0 (1-0)
