nahk nudges levadia ahead published: tuesday 12 july 2005, 22.37cet fc levadia tallinn 1-0 fc dinamo tbilisi konstantin nahk's first-half penalty puts the estonian side in the driving seat.
by margus luik
estonian champions fc levadia tallinn kicked off their uefa champions league campaign with a 1-0 win against georgian title-holders fc dinamo tbilisi thanks to a first-half penalty from midfielder konstantin nahk.
slow start both teams started slowly in intense heat, but the hosts began to take the initiative and put on a positive, attacking display in the first half. on 28 minutes, marius dovydenas and konstantin vassiljev linked beautifully to supply vitali leitan, whose penalty claim was waved away by referee mark courtney. a minute later, dinamo midfielder lasha nozadze forced artur kotenko into a fine one-handed save with a shot from distance.
late penalty as half-time approached, levadia picked up the pace once again and attacked with renewed vigour, nahk's free-kick being well stopped by zviad sturua four minutes before the interval. soon after that escape, referee courtney awarded a penalty to levadia after dinamo captain sergi orbeldaze elbowed vitoldas cepauskas as they competed for a corner, and sturua was left helpless by nahk's low spot-kick.
kotenko clean sheet dinamo were determined to level after the break and their pressure lasted most of the second half, with right-sided midfielder david odikadze creating two promising moments for the visitors. the best chance, though, fell to levan melkadze whose close-range header was brilliantly kept out by kotenko. dinamo continued to control the play, but levadia defended well and remain on course for a second qualifying round tie with michael laudrup's brøndby if.
