FCI Levadia produced a remarkable second-half comeback at Hiiu on Sunday, overturning a two-goal deficit to defeat Nõmme Kalju 3-2 and take another major step in their Estonian Premium Liiga title charge.
Levadia entered the match having comfortably defeated Paide Linnameeskond 4-1 in the Estonian Cup, while Kalju were coming off a 0-2 cup defeat against Narva Trans. Both sides made several changes from their midweek matches, with Levadia making seven alterations to their starting XI.
The opening stages were evenly contested, although Levadia created the first significant opportunity. Nikoloz Kutateladze found space inside the penalty area in the fourth minute and got his shot away, but Kalju goalkeeper Henri Perk produced an important save to keep the scores level.
Neither side was able to establish clear control as the first half progressed, with both teams looking dangerous when putting balls into the penalty area. Kalju’s Roko Vukušic and Enrique Esono both came close, while at the other end Wendell sent a shot narrowly wide of the far post.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 38th minute. Kalju struck first through Esono, who was sent through by substitute Tambedou with an excellent ball behind the Levadia defence. The forward used his pace to get around Karl Vallner before calmly finishing into the empty net to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
And Kalju were not finished. Deep into first-half stoppage time, Esono again broke forward and forced Vallner into a save. The ball remained loose, however, and Nikita Ivanov reacted quickest to fire the rebound into the net, sending Kalju into half-time with a surprising 2-0 advantage.
It was a position Levadia had rarely found themselves in during what has otherwise been a dominant season. Manager Vjatšeslav Zahovaiko responded immediately, bringing Iboro on for Tanel Tammik at the break, and the change quickly paid dividends.
Just four minutes after the restart, Levadia pulled one back. Rasmus Peetson sent a long ball forward, Mark Oliver Roosnupp extended it, and Wendell collected possession before calmly placing his finish into the bottom corner.
Suddenly, the momentum had completely shifted. Levadia began pushing Kalju deeper and were rewarded again in the 58th minute. Joseph Saliste delivered a dangerous ball across the face of goal, and Joao Pedro appeared behind Alex Boronilštšikov to meet it and finish, bringing the score level at 2-2.
Kalju responded with several dangerous attacks of their own, with Esono continuing to cause problems and Vukušic narrowly missing after finding himself in space. At the other end, Vallner was forced into an important save from Sõtšugov, while Henri Perk also denied Levadia substitute Mollo Bessala.
As the minutes ticked away, it appeared the dramatic comeback might ultimately end with both teams sharing the points, but Levadia had one final twist.
With two minutes of stoppage time remaining, Mihkel Ainsalu found Mollo on the right flank, and the substitute sent a dangerous ball across the face of goal. Otoo was waiting in the right place at the right time, smashing the ball into the net to complete an extraordinary 3-2 turnaround.
The victory further strengthens Levadia’s position at the top of the Premium Liiga now having a 15 point advantage over Kalju who are second.
Next match for Kalju will be on Saturday when they will travel to play against Flora Tallinn, while Levadia a day later will have an away game against Paide Linnameeskond.
Nõmme Kalju vs Levadia Tallinn – 2-3 (2-0)
Goals: Esogno 38′, Ivanov 45+2′ | Wendell 50′, Pedro 58′, Otoo 90+2′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  FCI Levadia |
24 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 64 | 20 | 44 | 59 |
| 2 |  Nõmme Kalju |
25 | 13 | 5 | 7 | 45 | 22 | 23 | 44 |
| 3 |  FC Flora |
24 | 14 | 0 | 10 | 46 | 30 | 16 | 42 |
| 4 |  Paide |
24 | 12 | 6 | 6 | 40 | 31 | 9 | 42 |
| 5 |  Tammeka |
23 | 12 | 2 | 9 | 29 | 32 | -3 | 38 |
| 6 |  Harju |
25 | 10 | 1 | 14 | 36 | 41 | -5 | 31 |
| 7 |  Pärnu Vaprus |
24 | 8 | 4 | 12 | 33 | 46 | -13 | 28 |
| 8 |  Kuressaare |
25 | 7 | 4 | 14 | 27 | 41 | -14 | 25 |
| 9 |  Nõmme United |
25 | 8 | 1 | 16 | 42 | 60 | -18 | 25 |
| 10 |  Narva Trans |
25 | 5 | 2 | 18 | 18 | 57 | -39 | 17 |
