FCI Levadia defeated FA Šiauliai with an aggregate score of 2-0 and advanced to the second qualifying round of the Conference League!

Levadia first faced FA Šiauliai away in Lithuania, where they defeated their opponents 2-0. Yesterday, a week later, at A. Le Coq Arena, although they didn’t necessarily need a win, the team still wanted it. The game ended in a 0-0 draw.

The green shirts’ priority in the second game was to control the match and prevent their opponents from scoring since they already had a 2-0 lead. They managed this well, confidently holding possession and creating several good opportunities to score.

In the first half, Richie Musaba created several dangerous situations. Still, the closest to scoring was Ioan Yakovlev, who had a free shot in the penalty area in the 15th minute. However, the ball bounced too high for him, and his shot went over the goal.

While Levadia tried to control the game in the first half, they managed this excellently in the second half. They created numerous chances, but the ball didn’t find the net. More importantly, it was very difficult for the opponents to win the ball. When they did, Levadia’s pressing stifled them, causing Šiauliai players to make passing errors, often sending the ball out of bounds.

The 1,198 people who came to the stadium didn’t see any goals, but they were still happy as FCI Levadia defeated FA Šiauliai with an aggregate score of 2-0, advancing to the second qualifying round of the Conference League! Not everyone was pleased, though, as a group of Lithuanian club fans who came to support their team throughout the match and even after the final whistle – applause to them! In the next round, Levadia will face the Croatian club Osijek, who finished fourth in their domestic league last season. The first match is next Thursday away, and the home game is a week later at A. Le Coq Arena. Ticket information will be provided as soon as possible!

Before the European games, FCI Levadia will have a home match against FC Kuressaare on Sunday as part of the Premium League. Tickets are available at Piletitasku, and more information can be found on the Levadia Facebook event page.

What did the participants say?

Curro Torres told SoccernetTV after the match that he was pleased with the team’s performance: “It was a serious game, the first half performance was normal, and the second half was better – good game and good effort. Now we need to recover and prepare for the second-round game in Croatia.”

“If the opponents didn’t get a good result in the first game, they might come to the second game more aggressively, with higher intensity and pressing. This made the first half harder, but step by step we gained better control of the game and had a good chance to win, but I’m also very happy with the draw,” added the coach.

Captain Rasmus Peetson was satisfied with both his and the team’s performance: “For 90 minutes, things were generally under our control. I don’t remember the opponents having a 100-percent chance. Šiauliai was more active with the ball at the beginning, and we tried to act too hastily,” analyzed the Levadia captain. “In the last 15 minutes of the first half, we already controlled the ball and tempo. The second half was like the end of the first half. We played smart, kept possession, switched sides, and created opportunities. Compared to the first game, Šiauliai was more compact in the center, so we tried to use the wings more.”

Photos: Katariina Peetson/jalgpall.ee