Sliema Wanderers 1

Khazar Lankaran 1

A sprightly start by Khazar earned them an early goal but the Azerbaijan side began to fade towards the end of the first half though and their struggles to cope with the stifling heat at the Centenary Stadium raised hopes of a positive result by the local team in this evening first leg of the Europa league preliminary round match.

With Khazar failing to maitain their early momentum, Sliema came more into the picture and equalised around the hour mark.

The game fizzled out in the final stages with neither side seemingly capable of producing a late flourish. Sliema retained their composure, easily coping with their opponents’ attacks which were mostly spearheaded by substitute Adrian Pit.

The Wanderers’ hopes of a positive result suffered a blow inside the opening 13 minutes when Khazar broke the deadlock when Sadio Tounkara through-ball released Nildo Franca Junior who closed in on goal before nodding in from close range.

Shocked by Khazar’s sizzling start, Sliema just could not bring some fluency to their game. Shy the half hour mark, the Maltese side came close to gaining a much-needed boost when Barbetti’s free-kick curled in the Azerbaijani box but Bianciardi failed to get a decent connection with the ball.

After 37 minutes, some ponderous defending allowed Tounkara to barge his way on the right flank, Vanderson Scarduelli beat his marker to reach the ball in front of Glenn Zammit but the Sliema goalkeeper sprinted out of goal to repel the advances of the Khazar defender.

Greco was clearly intent on making the most of the versatile qualities of his players, replaced Cilia with Ariel Laudisi and the Wanderers shifted attacking mode and from one prolong foray, Sliema had a penalty shout turned down on the hour mark, when Radomir Todorov tackled Ohawuchi to end his venture in the Azerbaijan box.

But the Nigerian striker was not to be denied though, two minutes later. Catching the Khazar defence up the field, he sprinted the length of the half, flashed past the defenders, turned round goalkeeper Antonio Doblas and tucked the ball into the empty net.

Khazar were clearly finding it hard to impose themselves in scorching temperatures and took the whole of 31 minutes of the second half to create their first noteworthy chance of the half. Zoahir Benuahi found himself in space down the inside-left channel but his swerving effort flashed against the sidenetting.

But eight minutes from time, Khazar were down to 10 men after Elnur Allahverdiyev was expelled for two cautions. Greco’s men upped their efforts as they sought to make their numerical advantage count. Instead, Khazar’s renewed commitment and growing sense of urgency earned them a sequence of dead-ball situations which enabled substitute Adrian Pit to send in some teasing crosses. Just before the final whistle, the Romanian whipped in a free-kick from the left but Alvaro Silva’s powerful header finished wide. As Toschack’s side failed to capitalise, Sliema stayed firm to emerge unhurt from a potentially harmful situation.