Following a close-fought first leg in Poland, Champions League hopefuls Flora and Rakow Czestochowa reconvene in Tallinn on Tuesday, when they conclude their first qualifying round tie.

Rakow lead by a goal following last week's home win, and while the Polish champions are ultimately aiming at a place in the group stage, their Estonian counterparts could still snatch a place in the second round.

Match preview

Inching themselves closer to the second of four qualifying rounds for the Champions League group phase, Rakow Czestochowa take a 1-0 lead with them to Tallinn, thanks to Vladyslav Kochergin's second-half strike last Tuesday.

The Ukrainian midfielder's goal puts Rakow in the box seat ahead of this week's return, when a second-round tie against either Lincoln Red Imps or Qarabag will be the winner's prize; a place in Europa Conference League qualifying awaits the beaten side.

Last season's Ekstraklasa winners, who had finished runners-up in both previous campaigns, finished nine points clear of Legia Warsaw in the final 2022-23 standings - adding to a haul of two Polish Cups and two Super Cups over the past three years.

Defending the latter on Saturday, against cup winners Legia, new coach David Szwarga missed his chance to collect a first trophy, as the Medaliki lost on penalties to the capital club after a goalless stalemate; it could have been an entirely different outcome, but substitute Marcin Cebula struck the crossbar late on.

Now, a club which was only promoted back to the top flight in 2019 must return to Europe, where they fly the flag for Polish football: despite the national team's regular appearances on the big stage, Poland have been represented in the Champions League group stage just once to date, when Legia came up short in the 2016-17 campaign.

Of course, no Estonian side has ever made it that far into Europe's top club competition, and Flora are very much outsiders to do so this summer - particularly in light of last week's defeat in Czestochowa.

Deep into the defence of their domestic title, which they won by racking up some 97 points in 2022, the Tallinn club currently top the Meistriliiga alongside local rivals Levadia Tallinn - both have 47 points from 20 games.

Last year's total tally represented a joint-record of most points accrued in a single season, and came after Flora were the first club from Estonia to reach a UEFA competition group stage when they qualified for the 2021-22 Europa Conference League.

On that occasion, Jurgen Henn's side made more history by beating Serbian giants FK Partizan 1-0 at Lillekula Stadium, where they will run out on Tuesday hoping for a similarly shocking result; otherwise, a Conference League return awaits.

Team News

Former Bosnia Under-21 international Vladan Kovacevic started in goal for Rakow last week, holding off competition from two summer signings, and the ex-Sarajevo stopper should line up as part of a similar XI to that which won the first leg.

German forward John Yeboah, who scored 10 goals in the Polish top flight last term for Slask Wroclaw, was promoted to the starting lineup for Saturday's Super Cup defeat, so could be in contention for a place in the front three. After an hour of the loss to Legia, Yeboah was replaced by debutant Maxime Dominguez, and the Swiss midfielder is also pushing for a start in Estonia.

Once again, coach David Szwarga will be without defender Adnan Kovacevic - who sustained a thigh injury shortly after arriving in Czestochowa from Ferencvaros - and Spanish playmaker Ivan Lopez (ACL), scorer of nine league goals last season.

With less squad depth than their visitors, Flora are unlikely to make multiple alterations - particularly having had a full week to recover from their exertions in Poland. Therefore, captain Konstantin Vassiljev will patrol central midfield, while fellow Estonian international Martin Miller should feature in an advanced role behind the hosts' lone striker.

Sten Reinkort started up front last week, but veteran forward Rauno Alliku could lead the line back on home soil, having registered more than a century of goals for Flora throughout a 15-year career.

Flora possible starting lineup:
Grunvald; Lilander, Kuusk, Seppik, Hussar; Kreida, Vassiljev; Reinkort, Miller, Ojamaa; Alliku

Rakow Czestochowa possible starting lineup:
V. Kovacevic; Rundic, Arsenic, Svarnas; Tudor, Kochergin, Lederman, Carlos; Yeboah, Piasecki, Cebula

We say: Flora 1-2 Rakow Czestochowa (Rakow win 3-1 on aggregate)

Though Rakow were dominant during the first leg, they failed to fully capitalise on their supremacy and still have work to do in Tuesday's return. Nonetheless, they can control events in Tallinn too, and another win would seal progress to the second qualifying stage.


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