The Esiliiga season kicked off in Tartu today, where local side Tartu Welco hosted Tallinna Kalev, who finished last in the Premium Liiga last season. In front of a crowd of more than 500 spectators, Welco delighted the home fans with a convincing 3-0 victory.
The honour of scoring the first goal of the new Esiliiga season went to Andreas Kiivit in the 25th minute. The forward reacted quickest after the goalkeeper’s save and tapped the loose ball into the net from close range.
Kalev soon had an unexpected chance to equalise when Oscar De Pizzoli attempted an ambitious long-range effort from midfield, but his shot struck the crossbar. Toward the end of the first half, Welco goalkeeper Marcus Agarmaa made several important saves to preserve the lead, and the hosts went into the break with a 1-0 advantage.
Both teams created chances after the restart, but just before the hour mark Welco effectively decided the match with two goals in 64 seconds. First, Erki Mõttus finished a rapid counterattack with a powerful and precise strike. Moments after the restart, Welco launched another attack and Mark William Mugra placed the ball neatly inside the post to make it 3-0.
The remaining matches of the opening Esiliiga round will take place over the weekend. In the second round, Welco will travel to face Tallinna FC Flora U21, while Kalev will host FC Tallinn a day later.
