The Last International Break of the Year Ends with a Draw and a Loss!

In November, the men’s national team played their final two matches of the year. The first match ended in a draw, while the second concluded with a loss. What role did the Levadia players play during this international break?

Out of the six Nations League matches played this season, Estonia secured one win, one draw, and four losses. The team scored three goals in total, one of which was scored by Ioan Yakovlev, a player from our ranks! Estonia remains in League C.

On November 16, the team played their first Nations League match of this break against Azerbaijan at Gabala City Stadium in Gabala. Among the Levadia players, only Michael Schjonning-Larsen started in the lineup, while Ioan Yakovlev came on in the 63rd minute. Rasmus Peetson, Karl Andre Vallner, and Mihkel Ainsalu did not feature, with Ainsalu sidelined due to injury. The match ended in a 0–0 draw.

The final Nations League match of the year took place on November 19 against Slovakia at Anton Malatinsky Stadium. This time, two Levadia players started – once again Michael Schjonning-Larsen and Ioan Yakovlev. Rasmus Peetson entered the game in the 71st minute. In total, three Levadia players featured during this international break. Vallner and Ainsalu remained on the sidelines, the latter due to injury. The match against Slovakia ended in a narrow 0–1 defeat.

Since the beginning of this Nations League season, Estonia has played six matches. Notably, after team captain Karol Mets and goalkeeper Karl Jakob Hein, Levadia’s Michael Schjonning-Larsen played the most minutes, racking up an impressive 509 minutes across six games.

Highlighting Levadia’s contribution, Ioan Yakovlev ranks second in shot attempts for Estonia, tied with A.M. Tamme, Sinyavski, and Anier (4 shots each) and just behind Rocco Robert Shein (6 shots).

In terms of passing accuracy, two Levadia players made the top ten: Michael Schjonning-Larsen (77%) and Rasmus Peetson (75%).

The Nations League season can be considered successful for Estonia. After a long gap, the team managed to score multiple goals and secured third place in League C. Overall statistics show improvement, and the national team, led by Jürgen Henn, is showing promising results. We look forward to the new year and the March international break with anticipation!

Photo: Liisi Troska / jalgpall.ee