Levaadia saw off Kuressaare 4-0 in the Meistriliiga's 27th round on Tuesday. The result keeps the Estonian champions at the summit of the table, while the visitors remain rooted in ninth place. It was a straightforward afternoon for the hosts, who controlled proceedings from the opening whistle.
The breakthrough came in the sixth minute when M. Skvortsov found the net. To be fair, Levaadia had been pressing for this moment, and the early goal set the tone for the rest of the contest. Kuressaare's defence looked disjointed, and the visitors never quite recovered their composure after that first mistake.
G. Lehtmets doubled the lead in the 40th minute, and by then the match was all but decided. We had given a home win as our prediction with 70 per cent confidence, and the early dominance justified that call. Levaadia's high line was picked apart with ease, and the visitors simply could not cope with the tempo.
The statistics tell the story without embellishment. Levaadia enjoyed 62 per cent possession, registered 11 shots on target against just three for Kuressaare, and completed 164 attacks to 94. Many shots with four goals means chances were taken, which is what separates a comfortable win from a lucky one.
E. Otoo added a third in the 81st minute, and G. Reis rounded off the scoring in the 88th. Both strikers came on as substitutes — M. Skvortsov and M. Ainsalu were among the changes at the break. And here's the thing: the managers didn't need to chase the game anymore. They could play with freedom.
Levaadia now sit on 62 points from 25 matches, with 19 wins and only one defeat. Kuressaare have 28 points from 26 games, and the gap between them is widening. The hosts have kept their grip on the title race, while the visitors face another difficult run of fixtures ahead.
