It was a night of contrasting emotions for Albanian football as Vllaznia Shkodër suffered a narrow but costly home defeat, while Partizani Tirana salvaged a draw away from home in their respective first-leg matches of European qualifiers.
Despite dominating possession and play, Vllaznia couldn’t convert their efforts into goals in their match against Latvian side Daugavpils, played at the Elbasan Arena. Coach Edi Martini’s first official match of the season didn’t unfold as planned, as his team failed to capitalize on clear differences in quality and momentum.
The first half ended goalless, but with promising signs from the home side. Vllaznia maintained control throughout the second half and looked the more likely to score. However, against the run of play, the visitors from Latvia stunned the crowd in the 85th minute, when Lizunovs headed in the winning goal past goalkeeper Qarri following a deflection. The 0-1 defeat hands Daugavpils a valuable advantage ahead of the return leg.
Meanwhile, Partizani fared slightly better on their trip to Estonia, earning a 1-1 draw against Nõmme Kalju. The hosts took the lead early in the second half through Mannilaan, punishing the Red Bulls who struggled to create meaningful chances. But the Albanian side responded quickly—just four minutes later, Xhuliano Skuka leveled the score to keep Partizani’s qualification hopes alive.
Both return legs are scheduled for July 17, where Vllaznia will look to overturn their deficit in Latvia, and Partizani will aim to finish the job at home.