The UEFA Conference League is the third tier of European club competition, and Thursday's games were the first leg of round three of qualifying, with a berth in the playoffs awaiting the aggregate winners.

Paide 1, Rapid Vienna 4

Paide Linnameeskond suffered a 4–1 home defeat against Rapid Vienna before 5,500 fans at the A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn. The hosts kept the score at 1–1 before things began to unravel in the last 10 minutes.

This means they will go to Vienna for the second leg next week with a mountain to climb if they are to meet either Benfica or Hearts in the playoff round.

The 32-time Austrian champions Rapid started the match sharply and were awarded a penalty as early as the third minute, which Hungarian right-back Bendeguz Bolla duly slotted in.

The visitors kept up the pressure, keeping 75 percent of the possession in the first half, though such shots as they had were little threat to Paide's Gambian 'keeper Ebrima Jarju's goal, and some chances even began to emerge for the home side as well.

This manifested with a Paide equalizer in the 41st minute when a low corner made its way into Rapid's penalty area; a touch from striker Abdourahman Badamosi hit the crossbar before it fell to forward Daniel Luts, who fired it into the net from a few meters out.

However, Rapid got back in control of the tempo in the second half. In the 71st minute, Paide committed a poor misplaced pass near their own penalty area, though Jarju saved the resulting close-range effort. Two minutes later, it was Rapid's goalkeeper's turn to keep out a fierce shot at his near post from striker Modou Pa Sohna.

In the final 10 minutes, however, the visitors settled things once and for all with three unanswered goals. In the first of these, Jarju came off his line in time to cut out a through ball, but the ball unfortunately ricocheted to striker Moulaye Haidara, who calmly slotted it home. Just two minutes later, Bolla delivered a low cross from the right into the goalmouth, where winger Petter Dahl turned it into the net, and in the fourth minute of stoppage time, Haidara capped a fine attack to put the finishing touch on the match.

Benfica meanwhile put six past Hearts, while the latter responded with just the one goal, in their first leg of the same qualifying stage.

Flora lose 2–0 away to Andorran champs

Meanwhile reigning Estonian champions FC Flora went down 2–0 away to Andorran league champions Inter Club d'Escaldes in the first leg of their third-round qualifier, for the same competition.

Despite being based in tiny Andorra, the hosts have picked up some notable victories in the Conference League competition in recent years. Three summers ago, they defeated Scottish Premiership club Hibernian at home in the second qualifying round of the Conference League. Then last season, they beat Romanian giants FCSB, and drew with Slovenian powerhouse Olimpija Ljubljana.

AVUI JUGA UN DELS NOSTRES!

UEFA Conference League
➡️ Tercera eliminatòria (anada)

Inter Club Escaldes - Flora Tallinn
19h
️ Nou Estadi de la FAF
Encamp pic.twitter.com/xapXCvX29D

— Federació Andorrana de Futbol (@Fedandfut) August 6, 2026

Inter are reigning Andorran league champions, though they have only one Andorran player in their squad, who came on for the final 10 minutes on Thursday. The overwhelming majority of the squad are Spanish nationals, many of them products of the academies of major clubs. For example, Inter midfielder Juan Camara has appeared for Barcelona in a Champions League match, while Inter Club d'Escaldes 'keeper Javi Diaz has played for La Liga side Sevilla.

The first half of Thursday's match belonged entirely to the hosts: Forward Faysal Chouaib put Inter ahead as early as the fifth minute, with the Andorran champions retaining 75 percent of possession during the first half, registering 13 shots during that time to Flora's two, one of which was on target.

The visitors came out for the second half in much better shape, however, holding more possession and even creating some chances in front of the hosts' goal. One good opportunity fell to national team striker Rauno Sappinen, but he was not ready for the ball inside Inter's penalty area. However, it was Inter who doubled their lead, in the 62nd minute, thanks to a goal from winger Domi Berlanga. The hosts held on to that margin to the final whistle, taking that advantage into the second leg in Estonia next Thursday, August 13.

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