Slovenian side Olimpija Ljubljana were held to a 0-0 draw at home in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League third qualifying round tie against Albanian champions Egnatia, with Estonian striker Alex Matthias Tamm missing a crucial second-half penalty.
The match marked Olimpija’s first outing since parting ways with head coach Jorge Simão earlier this week. Assistant coach Ivan Senzen stepped in as interim manager. After starting from the bench in the second-round matches – and reportedly dealing with minor health issues – Tamm returned to the starting lineup for this key European clash.
In the second half, Tamm earned a penalty after going down inside the box following contact during a cross. The Estonian international took responsibility from the spot but sent his effort wide of the right post. Visibly frustrated, Tamm buried his face in his hands after the miss. He was substituted in the 83rd minute.
Egnatia were reduced to ten men in the final minutes when Abdurramani Fangaj received a second yellow card in the 90th minute, but Olimpija couldn’t capitalise on the numerical advantage.
The second leg will take place in Albania on August 14. The winner of the tie will face the loser of the match between Lincoln Red Imps (Gibraltar) and FC Noah (Armenia) in the Conference League play-off round.
