On Monday, 31 August 2020 14:06:49 UTC+2, Werner Pichler wrote:
2nd Qualifying Round
One leg (extra time/penalties if needed; no Away Goal Rule)
In the Main Path, all seeded teams were drawn to play away, so it's mostly
the home wins that are upsets.
ELQ2 is the only round where practically every UEFA member is involved - the only one out of those 55 that was missing is Liechtenstein.
--
September 16
Main Path
FC Progr|?s Niederkorn (LUX) v WILLEM II TILBURG (NED) 0-5 (0-3)
(Pavlidis 21', 35', Saglam 29', Nunnely 47', Ndayishimiye 66')
Willem II's return to Europe after fifteen years was an easy win, and so Progr|?s and Rangers won't meet for the third time in four years.
Hammarby IF (SWE) v KKS LECH POZNA+a (POL) 0-3 (0-0)
(Tiba 56', Kami+aski 90', Marchwi+aski 90'+4; Red Card: Andersen (Ham) 63') Following an even first half the Swedes shot themselves in the foot in the second. Kalle Bj||rklund lost the ball as last man to former Braga midfielder Tiba
https://gfycat.com/weirdvastkitten and Hammarby's Danish captain Jeppe Andersen talked himself into a second yellow. Late on Lech added two more
with strikes from the edge of the box.
B36 (FAR) v The New Saints FC (WAL) 2-2 aet (0-0, 1-1), B36 win 5-4 on penalties
(Przybylski 47', Radosavljevi-c 120'+2; Smith 81', Ebbe 112')
Stefan Radosavljevi-c was born in Belgrade but grew up on the Faroes where
his dad Aleksandar played football in the early 2000's, is a regular for
the Faroe U21 NT, and saved his club with the last kick of the game in
extra time. As Micha+e Przybylski had sent his effort against the crossbar,
had Dean Ebbe converted his spot kick in the shootout TNS would have gone through, but both him and subsequently Danny Redmond saw their weak
penalties saved by B36's 19-year-old keeper R||i Hentze. Therefore, the team from T||rshavn reach the third qualification round for the first time in
their history, same as K|i (in the Champions Path, following their COVID walkover win over Slovan Bratislava). Previously, V|!kingur in 2014 had been the only Faroe team to ever go that far.
--
September 17
Main Path
FC Kaysar (KAZ) v APOEL FC (CYP) 1-4 (1-2)
(Lobjanidze 7'; De Vincenti 16', 90'+4, Anuar 26', Atzili 49')
The team from Kyzylorda in their European debut (as winners of the 2019 Kazakhstan Cup) had to play in Ordabasy's stadium in Shymkent near the Uzbekistan border, and got off to great start when APOEL's new Portuguese keeper Miguel Silva spilled a shot by Tagybergen
https://media.giphy.com/media/2EOJY4hSMSlgZRisUc/giphy.gif The Cypriot favourites soon recovered though and the ease with which Argentine attacker Tom|is De Vincenti scored the last goal in stoppage time is telling:
https://media.giphy.com/media/QAL45rdLEKxe1IBlo8/giphy.gif
FK Ventspils (LAT) v ROSENBORG BK (NOR) 1-5 (1-3)
(Kozlov 6'; Islamovi-c 16' (pen), 45'+4, Konradsen 38', Holse 65',
Zachariassen 72'; Red Card: Litvinskis (Ven) 63')
Strong winds in the Baltics (see also Riteriai's and Riga's games below) affected this match, and similarly to APOEL Rosenborg had to survive an
early scare, but the Norwegians also easily prevailed in the end.
KF Renova (MKD) v HNK HAJDUK SPLIT (CRO) 0-1 (0-1)
(Cakta+i 5')
The Croatian favourites held on after Mijo Cakta+i had headed in an early
goal, but the North Macedonians had chances to equalise until the very end.
KF Teuta (ALB) v GRANADA CF (ESP) 0-4 (0-3)
(Soldado 6', Kenedy 11', Herrera 32', 47'; Red Card: Beqja (Teu) 80') Convincing win for the Andalusians in their European debut, as quick goals
by old man Soldado and Chelsea loanee Kenedy as well as a brace by Man City loanee Yangel Herrera left the Albanians no chance.
Lincoln Red Imps FC (GIB) v RANGERS FC (SCO) 0-5 (0-2)
(Tavernier 22', Goldson 45'+5, Morelos 68', 89', Defoe 85')
After James Tavernier had broken the deadlock with a great free-kick
https://gfycat.com/competentexcitablebaleenwhale Rangers exorcised the
demons of Celtic's loss against the same opponents in style, with Jermain
Defoe at close to 38 also adding to his European tally.
The days of Scottish calamities in these early qualifiers seem indeed to be over. A bit of a shame, really, the BBC even made a quiz out of it:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/54042060
FC Boto+Oani (ROM) v KF SHK|iNDIJA (MKD) 0-1 (0-1)
(Ibraimi 3'; Red Card: Alimi (Shk) 67')
Besart Ibraimi managed to lob Boto+Oani keeper Pap from a tight angle in
what was Shk|2ndija's only shot on goal, and it was enough to overcome the Romanians who despite some serious pressure against ten men couldn't find
the equaliser.
FK BOD|y/GLIMT (NOR) v FK ++algiris (LTU) 3-1 (2-1)
(Zinckernagel 21', Boniface 33', Berg 82'; Antal 27')
As expected the Norwegian league leaders took an early lead through Philip Zinckernagel following a mix-up in the Lithuanian defence
https://gfycat.com/evilpepperyermine but ++algiris soon equalised through
Liviu Antal who turned in a cross from close range. Still, after a corner Nigerian youngster Victor Boniface stabbed the ball in at the far post,
and Patrick Berg did likewise late in the second half.
FK Riteriai (LTU) v FC SLOVAN LIBEREC (CZE) 1-5 (0-2)
(Lezama 62'; Mara 13' (pen), Hromada 21', Rabu+iic 85', Yusuf 90' (pen), Matou+iek 90'+4)
As written above, strong winds affected all matches in the Baltics. Two
early goals, one from the spot following a super-clumsy foul in the box
https://gfycat.com/defenselesslittleatlanticblackgoby seemed to have decided the tie early, but A Lyga's bottom-placed team managed to pull one back
thanks to a great strike by Venezuelan midfielder |Ungel Lezama
https://gfycat.com/tinyradiantbluejay and they even had chances to equalise before they still conceded a row of late goals, one of them a penalty that
made Abdulla Yusuf Helal the first Bahraini to ever score a goal in a
European competition.
PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL) v TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR FC (ENG) 1-2 (0-0)
(Minchev 72'; Kane 81' (pen), Ndomb|-l|- 86'; Red Cards: Almeida (Lok) 78', Karagaren (Lok) 78')
Mourinho sent out his first team, but a plucky Bulgarian side held on in
the first half, also thanks to Bergwijn's shot coming off the crossbar and
a clear penalty not being given. Lokomotiv took a shock lead twenty minutes from the end when Dimitar Iliev headed on a corner kick and Georgi Minchev nodded in at the far post, but the favourites got a break when Portuguese defender Dinis Almeida handled Lamela's goal-bound header on the goal line, giving Spurs a penalty and earning himself a red card, and so did Bircent Karagaren who complained to the ref (arguing that there had been a foul on Lokomotiv keeper Lukov in the build-up) and received a second yellow. Eleven against nine, Spurs overloaded the Bulgarian defence, and Lucas Moura's
cross found Tanguy Ndomb|-l|- who somewhat inadvertently turned the ball into the net
https://gfycat.com/UniqueGlossyEelelephant
Phew!
IFK G||teborg (SWE) v FC K|yBENHAVN (DEN) 1-2 (0-0)
(Sana 74'; Mudra++ija 84', Wind 86')
IFK are a team in crisis, currently sitting only two points above a
relegation play-off spot and having just fired their coach Poya Asbaghi
they replaced him with Roland Nilsson, formerly also manager in Copenhagen. Consequently, FCK were the better team from the start, but G||teborg's Greek keeper Anestis, who I mostly remember for his calamitous stint with Hapoel Be'er-Sheva, pulled off a string of remarkable saves to keep his team in
it, and the Swedes even took the lead on the break after Victor Nelsson had lost the ball. Still, two late goals by Croatian substitute Robert Mudra++ija (once for a short time a Salzburg prospect) who surprised Anestis at his
near post and by Jonas Wind who headed in a Mudra++ija corner kick turned the match around for FCK.
Neft|oi PFK (AZE) v GALATASARAY SK (TUR) 1-3 (0-1)
(Mbodj 47'; Diagne 20', 64', Luyindama 49')
Gala sent out a strong team and took a deserved early lead when Mbaye Diagne headed in Martin Linnes's cross. Neft|oi slowly got back into the game late
in the first half, and early in the second equalised also through a header
by a Senegalese when Mamadou Mbodj nodded in Emin Mahmudov's corner kick,
but their joy was short-lived as Congolese defender Christian Luyindama restored Galatasaray's lead with, you guessed it, a header after a corner. Diagne added a third following a dreadful mistake by Neft|oi keeper Mammadov
https://gfycat.com/coolshabbygardensnake
NK Olimpija Ljubljana (SLO) v H+aK ZRINJSKI MOSTAR (BIH) 2-3 aet (1-0, 2-2) (Ivanovi-c 20', Vombergar 82'; Bilbija 52', 85', Ivan-ii-c 93')
Olimpija's new signing -Eor-ae Ivanovi-c headed the Slovenians in front, but Nemanja Bilbija equalised likewise with a header from a corner kick. Argentine-Slovenian striker Andr|-s Vombergar gave Olimpija the lead again,
and again with a header, but three minutes later Bilbija got his brace by turning in Milo+i Filipovi-c's cross. In the 90th minute the substitute Ante Vuku+ii-c missed a one-on-one with Zrinjski keeper Brki-c, and so the tie had to go into extra time where soon after the re-start Josip Ivan-ii-c's volley gave the Croat Bosnians a hard-earned but not undeserved win.
The third year in a row that Zrinjski reach ELQ3. Not bad.
Hibernians FC (MLT) v FEH|eRV|UR FC (HUN) 0-1 (0-0)
(Nikolov 62'; Red Card: Shodiya (Hib) 90'+3)
A goal after a corner kick was enough in the end, but only because the
Maltese hit the crossbar in the 90th minute.
KF La|oi (ALB) v HAPOEL BE'ER-SHEVA FC (ISR) 1-2 (0-0)
(Nwabueze 60'; Agudelo 90'+1, Varenne 90'+4; Red Card: Deliu (La|o) 86') Nigerian-American striker Kyrian Nwabueze has already played for a fair
amount of Eastern European teams, and he gave La|o the lead against the
Israeli favourites with a cheeky backheel.
https://gfycat.com/HauntingDeliciousCheetah Ardit Deliu's second yellow
proved to be decisive though as Be'er-Sheva managed to score twice in
stoppage time.
PFC CSKA-SOFIA (BUL) v FC BATE Borisov (BLR) 2-0 (1-0)
(Sowe 45', Carey 90'+6)
BATE's biggest chance to score came in the first half when CSKA-Sofia's Brazilian keeper Busatto parried Nemanja Mili-c's penalty, and instead at the other end Gambian Ali Sowe buried the rebound after Shcherbitskiy had pushed out Georgi Yomov's curled shot. BATE hit the crossbar through Skavysh in the second half, and when Shcherbitskiy left his net in stoppage time on
occasion of a free-kick Irishman Graham Carey got the empty-netter
https://gfycat.com/easynippyhackee
FC Sf|<ntul Gheorghe (MDA) v FK PARTIZAN (SRB) 0-1 aet (0-0, 0-0)
(Natkho 105' (pen))
The Moldavian underdogs managed to drag this match into extra time, but a
shirt pull in the box led to the decisive penalty being converted by Bibras Natkho.
OFI FC (GRE) v APOLLON LIMASSOL FC (CYP) 0-1 (0-0)
(Szalai 51')
The team from Crete had last played in the UEFA Cup in 2000, but their
European return was short-lived as one well-worked goal for which Bagaliy
Dabo set up former Rapid prospect Attila Szalai was enough for the
experienced Cypriots to go through.
FC LOKOMOTIVI TBILISI (GEO) v FC Dynamo Moskva (RUS) 2-1 (0-0)
(Sikharulidze 55', Gavashelishvili 77'; Komlichenko 90'+1 (pen))
Certainly a major surprise. Russia are the highest-ranked country to have already lost a team.
MACCABI HAIFA FC (ISR) v FC Kairat (KAZ) 2-1 (1-1)
(Ashkenazi 32', Rukavytsya 73'; V|igner Love 45'+2)
A clever free-kick routine gave the Israeli the lead:
https://gfycat.com/elatedwelllitamericanwirehair V|igner Love equalised with
a goalscorer's goal
https://gfycat.com/madeupexhaustedherculesbeetle but
Nikita Rukavytsya compounded a terrible matchday for the Kazakh clubs
with another well-taken effort
https://gfycat.com/bonyinfiniteamericangoldfinch Shamrock Rovers FC (IRL) v AC MILAN (ITA) 0-2 (0-1)
(Ibrahimovi-c 24', |calhano-flu 68')
The Rovers can be proud of themselves, they created a couple of really good opportunities for themselves, and only fell to a classical clinical finish
by Zlatan
https://gfycat.com/sentimentalfemaleamericanmarten and a long-
range effort from |calhano-flu.
GKS PIAST GLIWICE (POL) v TSV Hartberg (AUT) 3-2 (1-1)
(Konczkowski 11', Soko+eowski 63', ++yro 85'; Kainz 34', Ried 76')
This is what I get for making fun of the Ekstraklasa. Before this game,
Piast had scored just a single goal in their five league matches, but in
this strange match every other shot on both sides seemed to result in a
goal. Piast got the winner six minutes from time when Micha+e ++yro (formerly
a Wolverhampton prospect until a knee injury almost ended his career) headed
in between two defenders. Hartberg surely would have liked to get something more out of their European debut.
FK Kuk|2si (ALB) v VFL WOLFSBURG (GER) 0-4 (0-2)
(Weghorst 22', 75', Lacroix 34', Mehmedi 90')
Not too difficult for the Germans. Maxence Lacroix got his first goal for
his new club by firing into the empty net after Kuk|2s keeper Elezaj had punched away a cross.
FK Borac Banja Luka (BIH) v RIO AVE FC (POR) 0-2 (0-0)
(Tarantini 90'+1, Jambor 90'+7)
The Bosnian Serbs held on for the longest time, also because Tarantini's
header went off the crossbar, but Rio Ave's midfield mainstay still got the decisive goal by bundling in a loose ball into the empty net
https://gfycat.com/DefensiveLikableAfricanpiedkingfisher
Croatian Nikola Jambor added a second stoppage time goal on the break.
Lucas Piaz||n played in this one and I'm fascinated to see that he's still officially a Chelsea player.
Aris FC (GRE) v FC KOLOS KOVALIVKA (UKR) 1-2 (0-0)
(Gama 56'; Novak 48', Antiukh 64')
In the first half a free-kick by former Betis midfielder Havier Matilla
skimmed the crossbar for Aris, but after the break the all-Ukrainian
debutants from the tiny village of Kovalivka near Kiev took the lead through Yevhen Novak who headed in a free-kick. Aris equalised thanks to a great
strike by Bruno Gama
https://gfycat.com/colorfulplayfulkentrosaurus but
again not long afterwards Kolos got the winner through Denys Antyukh who
buried the rebound after Aris's Spanish keeper Juli|in had slapped away Yemets's shot.
ROYAL STANDARD DE LI|eGE (BEL) v Bala Town FC (WAL) 2-0 (2-0)
(Avenatti 20' (pen), Amallah 35')
Bala had to waive their home right due to a fixture clash at Cardiff's
stadium, and they could have made things more memorable in Belgium if Chris Venables hadn't failed to convert a handball penalty just after Standard
had scored from the spot themselves.
N+a MURA (SLO) v AGF (DEN) 3-0 (1-0)
(Gorenc 38', ++i++ek 73', Maro+ia 90'+6)
Unexpected, to say the least. Jan Gorenc stabbed in Andrija Filipovi-c's
cross to give the team from Murska Sobota (currently in its third
incarnation) the lead. While Aarhus didn't take any of their chances, a terrible back pass header by AGF captain Niklas Backman gifted the Slovenian cup winners their second
https://gfycat.com/cavernousbackibadanmalimbe and
deep in stoppage time Amadej Maro+ia even back-heeled in a third on the
break.
Viking FK (NOR) v ABERDEEN FC (SCO) 0-2 (0-1)
(McCrorie 45'+1, Hedges 79')
Aberdeen's glass ceiling in seven of their last eight participations has
been ELQ3, so they were the logical winners in this North Sea Oil derby.
Ryan Hedges scored with a direct corner kick.
Coleraine FC (NIR) v MOTHERWELL FC (SCO) 2-2 aet (0-1, 2-2), Motherwell win 3-0 on penalties
(Doherty 50' (pen), 90'+1 (pen); Lang 17', Watt 38';
Red Card: Mugabi (Mot) 89')
Jeez! Two penalties helped Coleraine to bring this tie to a potentially historical conclusion, but against ten men in extra time Josh Carson's
header was cleared off the goal line, and in the shoot-out the Northern
Irish lost their nerve and failed to convert a single one of their spot
kicks. Would have been a nice addition to that BBC Quiz above.
NK Osijek (CRO) v FC BASEL 1893 (SUI) 1-2 (0-2)
(Cabral 19', Stocker 45'; Majstorovi-c 85')
Despite their current internal troubles Basel dominated the first half and
took a deserved lead when Arthur Cabral headed in Valentin Stocker's cross. Basel then outwitted the Croatians by exploiting the fact that you can't be offside on a throw-in and Pululu set up Stocker for their second.
https://gfycat.com/generalglumaztecant Things got a bit more hairy for the Swiss in the second half though, and after having created a row of good opportunities Ante Majstorovi-c headed in a free-kick to reduce the deficit, but there were no more real chances to equalise after that.
FC DAC 1904 (SVK) v FK Jablonec (CZE) 5-3 aet (1-1, 3-3)
(Divkovi-c 7', 66', Nicolaescu 86', 97', Davis 115'; Zelen|+ 26',
Schranz 58', 72' (pen)
In an entertaining match Jablonec keeper Hanu+i was a bit unlucky early on to not have been able to keep out Marko Divkovi-c's lob
https://gfycat.com/ecstaticmedicalamericanrobin Tom|i+i Ladra's twice
deflected shot gave the Czechs the equaliser, and Ladra's lob over DAC's
Czech keeper Jedli-ika also provided the assist for Jablonec's second. Divkovi-c equalised again on the break, and after the Czechs had once more taken the lead thanks to an unlucky handball penalty the Slovakians
dominated the match. Hanu+i pushed Ion Nicolaescu's shot onto the post with a great save, but soon after he became the goat when he awkwardly blocked
Zsolt Kalm|ir's speculative shot and Nicolaescu buried the rebound.
https://gfycat.com/whirlwindlargehare Fully deserved, and subsequently the
team from Dunajsk|i Streda/Dunaszerdahely left the Czechs no chance, already hitting the crossbar twice before Nicolaescu got his second of the night
with a well-placed shot into the top corner. Panamanian international Eric Davis then did likewise, great effort.
https://gfycat.com/femaleflawedgopher Servette FC (SUI)N++ v STADE DE REIMS (FRA) 0-1 (0-1)
(Berisha 5')
The two-time EC1 finalist's first European match since March 1963 began well
as after just four minutes former RB Salzburg midfielder Valon Berisha gave Reims the lead by tapping in a cross by Swiss winger Dereck Kutesa, and not much happened after that.
FK TSC Ba-ika Topola (SRB) v FC FCSB (ROM) 6-6 aet (2-1, 4-4), FCSB win 5-4 on penalties
(Mili-cevi-c 12', Duronji-c 15', Antoni-c 52', Tomanovi-c 90'+5, 118', Tumba+ievi-c 105'+2; Coman 26', Man 51', 64' (pen), 105'+1, Bala++ 90'+4 (og), Petre 109'; Red Cards: Ponjevi-c (TSC) 44', Sila-ai (TSC) 103')
One for the ages. Due to a slew of Corona cases in their squad Not-Steaua arrived in Serbia with a total of 14 players available, including those
pulled from the academy. Most notably, their left-back Pantea had just
turned 17 and it was the first-team debut for goalkeeper Ducan.
TSC took an early two-goal lead, but FCSB's attacking department wasn't affected by the virus and they soon pulled one back through Florinel Coman. Ba-ika Topola were reduced to ten when Dajan Ponjevi-c saw a second booking, and Dennis Man equalised with a fine shot from the edge of the box, 2-2.
TSC's third was on Ducan
https://media.giphy.com/media/XRaPJNHhiP6n8pF7B7/giphy.gif but a penalty allowed the Romanians to equalise again. Stoppage time was crazy - in the
93rd minute Bojan Bala++ unluckily deflected Robert Ion's cross into his own net
https://media1.giphy.com/media/KNKRM8723bv1MbKpTN/giphy.gif but just a minute later TSC's captain Sa+ia Tomanovi-c expertly chested down a long ball and beat Ducan with a turn and shot
https://media.giphy.com/media/M0jtvAVdWPjhS9f6wU/giphy.gif
Extra time then, and the Serbians were reduced to nine when Vladimir Sila-ai was sent off for a rough foul, and FCSB scored immediately afterwards.
Every free-kick into the area spelled danger for the inexperienced Romanian defence though and Janko Tumba+ievi-c equalised again with a nice volley -
5-5.
https://media0.giphy.com/media/c7Q3RC5RNZbYtuwZm2/giphy.gif Not-Steaua were able to attack in numbers and so quite easily scored their sixth, but three minutes from the end of extra time they again failed to show even the simplest defensive qualities and allowed Sa+ia Tomanovi-c to head in unmarked at the far post. TSC's captain collapsed with cramps immediately after
scoring.
In the tie-break all penalties were converted except Mihajlo Banjac's, ands
so goalie R-azvan Ducan became the unlikely hero after all. No FCSB player raced towards Dennis Man to congratulate him after converting the decisive penalty, everyone was too exhausted.
A real shame that this was played without spectators in the stands.
Budapest Honv|-d FC (HUN) v MALM|u FF (SWE) 0-2 (0-1)
(Toivonen 43', Traustason 87')
Convincing performance by Malm|| who left Pusk|is's feeble epigones little chance.
--
Champions Path
FC ARARAT-ARMENIA (ARM) v CS Fola Esch (LUX) 4-3 aet (1-1, 3-3)
(Mart|!nez 18', Lima 90'+2 (pen), 90'+5 (pen), Vakulenko 114'; Pimentel 20', Bensi 57' (pen), Hadji 82'; Red Cards: Christian (Ara) 43',
Pimentel (Fol) 90'+1)
Mustapha Hadji's son Zachary got on the scoresheet for Fola, but the
Armenian champions mounted an incredible comeback thanks to two penalties in stoppage time. Ukrainian journeyman Serhiy Vakulenko gave them the win in
extra time with a nice backwards leaning header
https://media.giphy.com/media/OPAiBNOFkX1NzcHnOL/giphy.gif
All four Luxembourg entries have already been eliminated, and their
coefficient for this season is back to where it was before D|+delingen's exploits.
FC Astana (KAZ) v FK BUDU-aNOST PODGORICA (MNE) 0-1 (0-1)
(Terzi-c 26')
Played in Almaty, due to ongoing renovation works in the Astana Arena, this
was a huge disappointment for the Kazakhs, following their elimination from
the CL qualifiers at the hands of Dynamo Brest. Astana had reached a
European group stage in each of the last five seasons (1x CL, 4xEL), while Budu-cnost had previously reached ELQ3 only once in their history, in 2010/11 when they lost against Br|+ndby. Nice volley by Vasilije Terzi-c for the winner:
https://gfycat.com/darkpooramericanbobtail
Kazakhstan (#27) are by some distance the highest-ranked nation to already
see all their teams eliminated.
KUPS (FIN) v +aK Slovan Bratislava (SVK) 1-1 aet (0-0, 0-0), KuPS win 4-3 on penalties
(Udo 120'+1; Medved 112')
Kuopio failed to punish a series of defensive mishaps by the Slovakians in regular time and seemed to have paid the price for it when young Slovenian striker ++an Medved headed in for Slovan eight minutes from the end of extra time, but in the very last minute the umpteenth bad clearance was finally punished as Nigerian forward Aniekpeno Udo turned a cross in from close
range. In the shootout the Finns were the first to miss through Niskanen,
but when the Brazilian Rafael Rat|uo could have won it for Slovan he saw
his weak effort saved by Virtanen, and the KuPS keeper then did likewise against the Spaniard Nono.
Finnish club football has sorely needed a good result like this. In the
UEFA ranking they're barely above Malta.
FC FLORA (EST) v KR (ISL) 2-1 (1-0)
(Sappinen 8', Lilander 38'; Finnbogason 76'; Red Card: J||nasson (KR) 58') Precise shots by Rauno Sappinen and Michale Lilander gave Flora's all-
Estonian squad a surprising two-goal lead, and even though KR reduced the deficit through Kristj|in Fl||ki Finnbogason's well-placed header, down to ten they couldn't find the equaliser.
With this loss (the fifth in five matches) the Icelandic |Urvalsdeild will
not only finish the season in the bottom four and lose a European entry, but will also be overtaken by Estonia so that just the leagues of Andorra and
San Marino are worse.
Connah's Quay Nomads FC (WAL) v FC DINAMO TBILISI (GEO) 0-1 (0-0)
(Gabedava 90'+8 (pen))
Like FCSB, the Nomads also had several players tested positive for COVID,
and so were left with 14 available players, barely above UEFA's required minimum. Which made their elimination by way of a penalty practically on the final whistle all the crueller.
DJURG|aRDENS IF (SWE) v Europa FC (GIB) 2-1 (1-0)
(Edwards 43', Ulvestad 70' (pen); Gallardo 58'; Red Card: Quillo (Eur) 62') Much harder than expected for the reigning Swedish champions - Europa were awarded a penalty in the first half but Per Kristian Br|Ntveit saved against Liam Walker, and immediately afterwards DIF scored at the other end when
Curtis Edwards volleyed in after a corner. Still, Europa got a shock
equaliser when a comical misunderstanding between Br|Ntveit and Jacob Une Larsson resulted in an empty net finish for Adri|in Gallardo
https://gfycat.com/paralleldiscreteiggypops but |Ulex Quillo soon afterwards saw a second yellow, and Fredrik Ulvestad ultimately saved Djurg|Nrden the blushes from the penalty spot. Still, Europa could have got a most
improbable equaliser when Avil|-s' header came off the right post, and the Swedes really suffered against ten Gibraltarians until the relief of the
final whistle.
Inter Club d'Escaldes (AND) v DUNDALK FC (IRL) 0-1 (0-1)
(McMillan 15'; Red Card: Boyle (Dun) 58')
Following David McMillan's early goal it appeared to be easy sailing for Dundalk in Andorra, but after Andy Boyle's dismissal with a second yellow
they were under more pressure than they most likely would have thought
probable against such an opponent.
FK Sileks (MKD) v KF DRITA (KOS) 0-2 (0-0)
(G|2rbeshi 49' (pen), Limani 81'; Red Card: Grozdanoski (Sil) 78')
So despite UEFA's cock-up in the Preliminary Round, Drita are still in the competition - and now get to play Legia Warsaw. Poetic justice?
Linfield FC (NIR) v FLORIANA FC (MLT) 0-1 (0-1)
(Garc|!a 10'; Red Card: Larkin (Lin) 74')
A deflected shot by Argentinian Mat|!as Garc|!a gave the Maltese champions an early lead, but man of the match was their Nigerian goalkeeper Ini Akpan
who pulled off a number of great saves to deny Linfield the equaliser.
--
September 18
Champions Path
RIGA FC (LAT) v SP Tre Fiori (SMR) 1-0 (0-0)
(Pedrinho 58')
Abandoned on Thursday after twenty-six minutes when strong winds smashed a floodlight, and continued the morning after. Portuguese midfielder Pedrinho
got the winning goal with a nice free-kick.
--
3rd Qualifying Round (September 24)
One leg (extra time/penalties if needed; no Away Goal Rule)
* = seeded team
--
Main Path
N+a Mura (SLO) v PSV (NED)*
Malm|| FF (SWE)* v NK Lokomotiva Zagreb (CRO)
Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR)* v Aberdeen FC (SCO)
Royal Charleroi SC (BEL) v FK Partizan (SRB)*
Rosenborg BK (NOR)* v Alanyaspor (TUR)
VfL Wolfsburg (GER)* v FC Desna Chernihiv (UKR)
Feh|-rv|ir FC (HUN) v Stade de Reims (FRA)*
Granada CF (ESP)* v FC Lokomotivi Tbilisi (GEO)
HNK Rijeka (CRO)* v FC Kolos Kovalivka (UKR)
FC St. Gallen 1879 (SUI) v AEK FC (GRE)*
Linzer ASK (AUT)* v FC DAC 1904 (SVK)
AC Milan (ITA)* v FK Bod|+/Glimt (NOR)
KF Shk|2ndija (MKD) v Tottenham Hotspur FC (ENG)*
Royal Standard de Li|?ge (BEL)* v FK Vojvodina (SRB)
FC Rostov (RUS)* v Maccabi Haifa FC (ISR)
Willem II Tilburg (NED) v Rangers FC (SCO)*
Apollon Limassol FC (CYP)* v KKS Lech Pozna+a (POL)
Be+fikta+f JK (TUR)* v Rio Ave FC (POR)
FC FCSB (ROM)* v FC Slovan Liberec (CZE)
Hapoel Be'er-Sheva FC (ISR)* v Motherwell FC (SCO)
FC K|+benhavn (DEN)* v GKS Piast Gliwice (POL)
FC Basel 1893 (SUI)* v Anorthosis Famagusta FC (CYP)
Galatasaray SK (TUR)* v HNK Hajduk Split (CRO)
FC Viktoria Plze+e (CZE)* v S|+nderjyskE (DEN)
APOEL FC (CYP)* v H+aK Zrinjski Mostar (BIH)
PFC CSKA-Sofia (BUL)* v B36 (FAR)
--
Champions Path
FK Sarajevo (BIH)* v FK Budu-cnost Podgorica (MNE)
FC Sheriff (MDA)* v Dundalk FC (IRL)
FC Ararat-Armenia (ARM) v NK Celje (SLO)*
Riga FC (LAT) v Celtic FC (SCO)*
KuPS (FIN) v FK S+2duva (LTU)*
Legia Warszawa (POL)* v KF Drita (KOS)
K|i (FAR)* v FC Dinamo Tbilisi (GEO)
Djurg|Nrdens IF (SWE) v FC CFR 1907 Cluj (ROM)*
Floriana FC (MLT) v FC Flora (EST)
byes to playoff round:
KF Tirana (ALB)
PFC Ludogorets Razgrad (BUL)
--
Ciao,
Werner
--- SBBSecho 3.06-Win32
* Origin: SportNet Gateway Site (24:150/2)
