Artmedia Petrzalka 1
Farkas 32
Valletta 0
Artmedia Petrzalka
L. Kamenar, P. Farkas, P. Durica, O. Szabo, J. Halenar ('60 J. Piroska), A. Pedro ('68 C.S. Nascimento), K. Salata, M. Cisovsky, B. Fodrek ('74 A. Urbanek), P. Burak, J. Kozak.
Valletta
A. Hogg, K. Scicluna, J. Grioli ('66 D. Camilleri), J. Mifsud, L. Dimech, S. Bezzina, E. Agius, S. Giglio ('50 C. Mattocks), J. Pace, G. Agius, D. Falzon ('86 K. Magro).
Referee: Vlado Svilokos (Croatia).
Yellow card: Farkas.
Valletta are out of the 2008/09 Champions League following a 1-0 upset to Artmedia Petrzalka yesterday as the Slovakia side rounded up a 3-0 aggregate win that sets up a second qualifying round meeting with Finland's Tampere United.
The Maltese champions leave the competition with their heads held high though after another battling display on a soggy pitch at Artmedia's stadium in Bratislava.
Valletta succumbed to a Pavol Farkas goal almost on the half-hour mark. However, Paul Zammit's team deserved something better from this outing as they were never outclassed by their more-quoted opponents who opted to administer their lead and keep the opponents away from their goal.
Perhaps, Valletta would have posed a bigger threat to Artmedia had coach Zammit been in a position to make use of a pure striker in his line-up following the last-minute withdrawal due to sickness of Ian Zammit while Cleaven Frendo was out of the reckoning with an ankle injury.
New signing Priso Doding, of Cameroon, was ineligible for the Champions League.
Valletta had two changes from last week's first leg at the National Stadium which Artmedia won 2-0 following goals late in the second half. Edmond Agius and Kenneth Scicluna replaced David Camilleri and Zammit in the line-up.
Artmedia wanted to score an early goal that would settle the tie quickly. However, Valletta soon got into gear and carved out the first opening after eight minutes but the unmarked Dyson Falzon was anticipated by Farkas just outside the box.
Anderson Pedro then seized possession, served Otto Szabo whose shot was cleared off the line by Stefan Giglio.
On 24 minutes, a Steve Bezzina cross was headed off target by Gilbert Agius.
Five minutes later, Farkas shot just wide from a Jan Kozak free-kick. The Citizens looked rather shaky in set-pieces and failed to heed to the warning as on 32 minutes they conceded a goal.
From another Kozak delivery inside the City box, Farkas hit home from a rebound after a Szabo shot came off the upright.
As the second half got underway, it was clear that Artmedia were happy to preserve their lead, allowing some more space for Valletta to manoeuvre.
On 57 minutes, goalkeeper Lubos Kamenar did well to push away a Falzon shot. Another effort from Gilbert Agius sailed just over the Artmedia goal.
Without adequate personnel in attack, it was difficult for Valletta to find a way through despite sharing the exchanges with their opponents.
Late on, an Artmedia counter-attack caught Valletta unawares but goalkeeper Andrew Hogg effected a double save on Szabo who was clean through following a pass from substitute Cleber Silva Nascimento.
In stoppage time, Valletta almost grabbed a deserved equaliser but Kurt Magro, who had just replaced Falzon, saw his powerful drive saved in style by Kamenar after some fine work from Jamie Pace.