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UEFA Champions League - Valletta FC vs FC Artmedia Petržalka

First Qualifying Round

23 July, TJ Senec Montostroj - Senec

Artmedia vs Valletta 1-0 (HT 1-0)

ARTMEDIA

Lubos Kamenar, Marian Cisovsky, Peter Burak, Pavol Farkas, Otto Szabo, Kornel Salata, Pedro Anderson (68' Cleber Nascimento), Pavol Durica, Jan Kozak, Branislav Fodrek (75' Ales Urbanek), Juraj Halenar (61' Juraj Piroska).

VALLETTA

Andrew Hogg, Kenneth Scicluna, Josef Mifsud, Luke Dimech, Steve Bezzina, Stefan Giglio (50' Claude Mattocks), Justin Grioli (67' David Camilleri), Edmond Agius, Jamie Pace, Dyson Falzon (87' Kurt Magro), Gilbert Agius.

Referee

Vlado Svilokos (CRO)

Assistant Referees

Sinisa Premuzaj, Robertino Dujela

Fourth Official

Domagoj Vuckov

Scorers

32' Pavol Farkas

15 July, National Stadium - Ta' Qali

Valletta vs Artmedia 0-2 (HT 0-0)

VALLETTA

Andrew Hogg, Justin Grioli, Josef Mifsud, Luke Dimech, Steve Bezzina, David Camilleri (66' Edmond Agius), Stefan Giglio, Jamie Pace (85' Claude Mattocks), Gilbert Agius, Ian Zammit, Dyson Falzon (77' Cleavon Frendo).

ARTMEDIA

Lubos Kamenar, Pavol Durica (78' Branislav Obzera), Radek Dosoudil, Otto Szabo, Juraj Piroska (69' Cleber Silva Nascimento), Pedro Anderson Goncalves, Kornel Salata, Marian Cisovsky, Branislav Fodrek (84' Patrik Mraz), Zbynek Popech, Jan Kozak.

Referee

Christoforos Zografos

Assistant Referees

Dimitrios Bersis, Damianos Efthimiadis

Fourth Official

Georgios Daloukas

Yellow Cards

Zammit, Pospech, Szabo, Durica

Scorers

75' Marian Cisovsky
79' Marian Cisovsky

A brace by Marian Cisovsky gave Artmedia Petrzalka a 2-0 win over Valletta in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League first qualifying round.

As expected the visitors, who reached the group stage of the UEFA Champions League just three years ago, held the initiative throughout the ninety minutes but the Citizens - with a team entirely made up of Maltese players - played a good game, controlling their opponents well for most of the time and also creating chances thanks to which they could have taken the lead. Once again, goalkeeper Andrew Hogg was probably the best player for Valletta.

The Citizens went close after just two minutes when off a Stefan Giglio freekick, captain Gilbert Agius served Jamie Pace whose header from inside the goal area was neutralised by goalkeeper. Less than a minute later, a cross shot by Marian Cisovsky was partially saved by Hogg.

Artmedia went close with a diagonal shot from the right by Zbynek Pospech ending just wide on 14 minutes and nine minutes later, Hogg came to the rescue blocking another Pospech effort at point blank. Valletta replied with a powerful drive by Stefan Giglio which ended high.

Four minutes from half-time, the Citizens created an excellent opportunity when Gilbert Agius released Ian Zammit inside the area but the latter's conclusion hit the upright.

Eighteen minutes in the second half, Valletta went close once again with a perfect cross by Ian Zammit from the right but Dyson Falzon was a bit late and failed to connect. A minute later, Giglio tested the Slovakian goalkeeper with a good shot from the left.

On the other side of the pitch, off a cross by Jan Kozak, Kornel Salata headed wide on 70 minutes. Then in another attack for the visitors, it was Justin Grioli who cleared into safety before Cleber could conclude from close range.

Artmedia managed to break the deadlock on 75 minutes when a good try by Branislav Fodrek was deflected into a corner and off the resulting corner from the right, Marian Cisovsky headed home past Hogg.

Four minutes later, the visitors doubled the score with a perfectly identical goal when off another corner by Kornel Salata from the right, Marian Cisovsky headed the ball past Hogg.

The second leg will be played on Tuesday 22 at the TJ Senec Montostroj in Senec. The winner then takes on the winner of the clash between Finnish side Tampere United and Buducnost Podgorica of Montenegro in the second qualifying round.