Defeat in Armenia as Vidi head out of the Europa Conference League

On Thursday, at 17:00 local time (15:00 Hungarian time), our team took to the pitch in Gyumri in the second leg of the first qualifying round of the ECL against FC Ararat Yerevan. The first match was played at the MOL Arena Sósto and resulted in a 1-1 draw.

The home team started the match more actively, and in the 10th minute Imre Szabics had to make a change due to injury, as Michael Lüftner unfortunately could not continue the game, with Musliu coming on as a substitute. In the 13th minute, Houri curled a free kick from the corner of the penalty area just wide of the goal. 25 minutes into the match, our international Loic Nego shot from 18 yards towards the home goal, but Ermakov saved well.

In the 33rd minute the Armenian team took the lead: this time Pobulic, who scored a smart goal in the first meeting, shot unmarked from a free kick awarded after Alef handled. His free kick ended in the top right corner from about 20 metres (1-0). In the 42nd minute, the goal scorer fouled Houri in the box and Heister's free kick was confidently saved by the home goalkeeper.

At half time, Houri was replaced by Zivzivadze, who immediately found himself in a great position, heading Fiola's good cross just wide of the goal from 5 metres. In the 50th minute, Petryak's corner was headed over by Stopira from about 6 metres. The home side defended very solidly and when the players had the chance to halt the game for a bit, they did so.

In the 60th minute, Zivzivadze again aimed at goal after Petrjak's corner, but this time the striker missed the target. Three minutes later, Nego found Petryak, who fired from the corner of the five-yard box, the Armenian goalkeeper again making a great save.

In the 71st minute, we got a taste of the dangerous home counter attacks: the players of the Yerevan team won a ball inside their own box and at the end of a fast attack on the left wing, Muradyan shot from 19 meters to the top left, which Kovácsik saved with a great stop.

With just over ten minutes remaining before the end of normal time, Hakobyan, who came on as a substitute, shot just wide from 30 metres. But in the 83rd minute we came very close to scoring, after Nego's cross Stopira tried to score from 6 meters, but Ermakov saved again. In the 85th minute, Silue won a kick from the Ararat goalkeeper in our penalty area, took the ball past Stopira and fired flatly into the right side of the goal from 13 metres (2-0).

In the 87th minute, Kone aimed at goal but Kovácsik saved. In the last minute of normal time, the Ivory Coast striker again had a chance, but he missed the target from 15 metres. In the 5-minutes extra time, Dárdai headed in but it was disallowed.

Armenia's FC Ararat Yerevan qualified for the next qualifying round of the ECL with a 3-1 aggregate score.