Flora keep Champions League hopes alive with narrow defeat in Poland
Estonian Meistriliiga champions FC Flora Tallinn lost 0-1 on Tuesday in the first leg of their Champions League first qualifying round tie against Polish side Raków Częstochowa. Flora will now be looking to turn that deficit around in the second leg at the A. Le Coq Arena next Tuesday.
The match got off to a difficult start for Flora, with midfielder Vladislav Kreida picking up an early injury and having to be replaced by Rauno Allik after just 12 minutes.
Nevertheless, the Estonian champions reached half time with the score still at 0-0.
However, nine minutes after the break, Raków's Ukrainian midfielder Vladislav Kochergin broke the deadlock with a strike that took more than just a slight deflection from a Flora defender on its way past Evert Grünwald and into the net.
Flora's best chances in the game had come at the end of the first half, with Raków's Bosnian keeper Vladan Kovačević saving well to deny efforts from both Martin Miller and Sten Reinkort.
The second leg takes place on Tuesday at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn. Kick-off is at 8 p.m. Estonian time. A victory for Flora would see them book a place in the second qualifying round of this season's Champions League.
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Editor: Michael Cole
