Leader secured a 3:2 victory over Tallinn in the opening round of the Esiliiga on Sunday. The visitors took all three points despite playing away from home, while the hosts opened their campaign with a defeat.
And here's the thing — we had tipped the away side to win, with 69 per cent confidence. The prediction came through, though Tallinn made it closer than most expected. They refused to go away after falling behind.
The result leaves Tallinn eighth in the table with one game played, zero wins, zero draws, one loss and zero points. Leader sit second, having won their solitary match, collected three points and kept a clean sheet in defence of their lead.
Tallinn's recent form offers little comfort. They lost 3:0 to Eesti Maakoli on Wednesday, then suffered three consecutive 1:3 defeats against Tallinn University and Kiiili in March. They had met Leader before, losing 1:3 on 8 March, and will be looking to turn things around.
Leader's opening day performance contrasted sharply with their earlier outings. They beat Pärnu II 3:0 on 3 October, but their previous five matches showed vulnerability — losses to Eesti Maakoli, Tallinn University and a narrow 2:3 defeat away to Eesti Maakoli. That third-place finish in their earlier fixtures made this result feel earned.
By then, the visitors had played the second half with a little more composure than in their opening exchanges. Tallinn took them apart in patches, but Leader held firm. The scoreline tells a story of a match decided in fragments rather than dominance.
What matters now is the gap. Leader lead by two points over the third-placed side, while Tallinn sit four points adrift of safety after one round. They paid for a sloppy opening, but there is time to recover.
