Levadia strike in stoppage time to end Harju’s unbeaten run

Estonian champions FCI Levadia Tallinn celebrated their 28th anniversary in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to secure a 2-1 victory over Harju JK Laagri at A. Le Coq Arena. Despite playing the entire second half with ten men following Nikoloz Kutateladze’s dismissal, Levadia snatched all three points through Maksimilian Skvortsov’s 96th-minute winner, bringing Harju’s six-match unbeaten run to an end.

Levadia made several changes to their starting lineup, with Karl Andre Vallner returning in goal and Rasmus Peetson back in midfield. Mark Oliver Roosnupp, Geovani and Kutateladze were also handed starts, while Mihkel Ainsalu remained absent from the squad. Harju, meanwhile, made just one change from their impressive 3-1 victory over Flora Tallinn, with Andreas Kaevats returning from suspension to replace Andreas Vaher.

Having stunned Flora with three goals inside the opening 18 minutes in their previous fixture, Harju once again made a flying start against one of Estonia’s leading clubs.

In the tenth minute, Daniil Rudenko produced a moment of individual brilliance to give the visitors the lead. After receiving a long pass from Laur on the left flank, Rudenko controlled the ball, skipped past Frank Liivak and unleashed an outstanding strike from approximately 20 metres into the top corner, leaving Vallner with no chance.

Despite conceding early, Levadia gradually took complete control of possession and began pushing Harju deeper into their own half. The visitors defended with discipline, although they struggled to reproduce the attacking threat that had troubled Flora just days earlier.

The pressure eventually paid off in the 29th minute when Geovani combined brilliantly with Wendell inside the penalty area before squeezing a shot through Harju goalkeeper Jan Vainula’s legs from a tight angle to restore parity.

Levadia continued to dominate after equalising and came close to completing the turnaround when Kutateladze struck the post following a corner. Wendell then wasted an excellent opportunity in the 42nd minute after finding himself one-on-one with Vainula but failing to make proper contact with the ball.

However, the match took a dramatic turn just before half-time. Following a VAR review, referee showed Kutateladze a straight red card for violent conduct after the Georgian attacker struck Kaevats in the face near the centre circle. The dismissal left Levadia facing the entire second half with ten men, despite having controlled much of the opening 45 minutes.

The numerical disadvantage inevitably changed the balance of the contest, with Harju enjoying more possession and the match becoming considerably more even.

Early in the second half, Levadia thought they had earned an opportunity to take the lead when the referee awarded a penalty following an incident involving Liivak and Laur inside the Harju penalty area. However, after reviewing the footage on the pitchside monitor, the referee overturned his decision and instead booked Liivak for simulation.

Despite being a man down, Levadia continued searching for a second goal. Roosnupp tested Vainula from a tight angle, while substitute Skvortsov was involved in another penalty appeal after going down following contact with Seck. VAR decided not to intervene, and the match continued.

Harju also had opportunities to take advantage of their extra player. Their best chance arrived in the 80th minute when Karel Eerme found himself in an excellent position inside the penalty area, but failed to make clean contact with the ball and sent his effort narrowly wide.

The visitors then thought they had taken the lead in the closing stages when a delivery from Marten Kelement found Laur, whose ball across goal ended up in the net. However, the goal was ruled out for offside.

Levadia responded by making four substitutions in the 86th minute, introducing Enock Otoo, Robert Kirss, Gregor Lehtmets and Alexandre as they pushed for a late winner.

The changes immediately added fresh energy to the home side’s attack. Lehtmets twice tested Vainula, while Tammik also directed a header towards goal following a Skvortsov corner, but the Harju goalkeeper remained alert.

With eight minutes of stoppage time announced, the match produced another decisive twist when Harju substitute Ndakala received his second yellow card for a high-foot challenge on Tammik, reducing the visitors to ten men.

Just moments later, Levadia completed their remarkable comeback. In the sixth minute of stoppage time, Otoo drove into the Harju penalty area and delivered a dangerous pass across goal. Seck failed to clear the ball properly, allowing Skvortsov to react quickest and fire a powerful finish into the roof of the net. The dramatic winner sparked celebrations among the home supporters as Levadia secured a memorable victory on the club’s 28th anniversary.

With this defeat, Harju missed the opportunity to draw level on points with fifth-placed Tartu Tammeka. They remain on 47 points with two matches remaining, three behind Tammeka, who still have three games left to play.

Harju’s next fixture will be a crucial away encounter against Tammeka next Saturday, while reigning champions Levadia will face the same opposition on Tuesday.

FCI Levadia Tallinn vs Harju JK Laagri – 2-1 (1-1)
Goals: Geovanni 29′, Skvortsov 90+6′ | Rudenko 10′