0 – 4
“Pablo Molina broke the deadlock for Escaldes against the run of early play, finishing coolly to put the Andorran side ahead. The goal came after Flora had earned a corner in the 10th minute and appeared to be growing into the match.”
Pivotal“Faysal Chouaib doubled Escaldes' lead shortly after the hour mark, converting with Flora seemingly unable to find answers despite their territorial dominance. The goal came after Borja Arellano's introduction and a corner in the build-up, signalling the tie was slipping away from Flora.”
Pivotal“Substitute Borja Arellano made his mark emphatically, scoring just minutes after coming on to make it 3-0 and effectively bury the tie as a contest. The goal arrived in a chaotic period that also saw Sander Alamaa booked, reflecting Flora's growing desperation.”
Pivotal“Faysal Chouaib completed his brace to seal a stunning 4-0 first leg result for Escaldes, capitalising on a completely open Flora side who had thrown caution to the wind chasing the match. The scoreline reached extraordinary proportions for a European tie of this nature.”
PivotalFlora dominated the statistical landscape for large stretches — 59% possession, eight corners, and 73 dangerous attacks — yet Inter Club d'Escaldes proved brutally efficient with what little they created, converting four of their four shots on target to Flora's zero from three. Pablo Molina's early 17th-minute opener gave the Andorran side a foothold they never surrendered, and while Flora pressed forward without reward throughout the first half, the tie was effectively killed off in a breathtaking 12-minute spell between the 69th and 81st minutes. Substitute Borja Arellano, introduced just before the hour mark, made an immediate impact by adding the third goal at 77', and Faysal Chouaib's brace either side of that strike completed a stunning haul. The Estonian champions were left to rue a deeply frustrating evening that saw them outworked where it mattered most — on the scoresheet — despite a yellow card-laden affair in which six bookings underlined the mounting frustration from both sides. Escaldes now head home holding an extraordinary 4-0 advantage ahead of the second leg.
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