TIRANA, June 29 – Albania’s Superliga runners-up Partizani were held to a goalless draw at home by Slovakia’s Slovan Bratislava in the first leg of their Europa League first qualifying round.
Partizani, who played one of their best Superliga seasons, will now face a tough challenge in their return knockout match scheduled for July 7.
The Reds dominated the game but were lucky not to concede an injury time goal after the Slovaks hit the woodwork.
Partizani top scorer Xhevahir Sukaj, who is rumored to be leaving the Tirana-based club, did not play in the first-leg game.
Partizani coach Klevis Dalipi said the team played a good match but was unlucky squandering many opportunities.
“Nothing is over yet as with the same performance and if we manage to finalize the opportunities we squandered at home, an away goal will count double,” he told a press conference.
Slovan’s Cypriot manager Nikki Papavasiliou said he was optimistic his team will be more competitive in the second-leg home match and qualify for the next Europa League round.
Once the most successful side under communism, Partizani has been trophyless since 1993.
Meanwhile, Albania’s sixth straight Superliga winners Skenderbeu have been provisionally included in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round draw as they await a final decision by the Court of Arbitration for Sport following a 1-year ban from European competition issued by UEFA on match-fixing allegations.
Skenderbeu have been drawn against Hungarian champions Ferencvà¡ros but will be able to play next July only if the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) lifts the Albanian champions’ one-year ban in their July 6 decision.
