Conference League qualifying: RFS come from behind as Dinamo Tbilisi, Shkendija prevail

[p]Thursday saw 21 of the 26 first legs take place, with the other five occurring on Tuesday and Wednesday.[/p][p]Latvian Virsliga runner ups [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/rfs/Midjg0YH/"]RFS[/a] managed to come from a goal down to top [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/glentoran/Uax8a0SC/"]Glentoran[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/glentoran-Uax8a0SC/rfs-Midjg0YH/?mid=Es0Ttx4k"]2-1 away[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kigurs-martins/YiEsOwjj/"]Martins Kigurs[/a] scored both goals for the side from Riga after [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ibsen-rossi-zeno/AV9Tw3ln/"]Zeno Ibsen Rossi[/a] had put the Northern Irish club ahead.[/p][p]RFS, who have only been around for 10 years, have reached the group phase of both the Europa League and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/europe/conference-league/"]Conference League[/a] in their short existence, and have reached at least the playoff round in three of the last four seasons. They remain unbeaten against sides from Northern Ireland (3-2-0), having knocked out [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/linfield/YiTk9JCq/"]Linfield[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/larne/44wiLnI5/"]Larne[/a] previously.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dinamo-tbilisi/I7RM1rTm/"]Dinamo Tbilisi[/a], winners of the 1980/81 UEFA Cup Winners Cup, scored twice in the first 20 minutes as they [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/dinamo-tbilisi-I7RM1rTm/mondorf-YLIte97b/?mid=CCUI3ETh"]earned a 2-1 success on their travels[/a] as well against Luxembourg's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mondorf/YLIte97b/"]Mondorf-les-Bains[/a].[/p][embed guid="5b8984cc-e525-4df6-8014-e7effde38fbe" url="https://x.com/IrakliGior1706/status/2075300453454172350?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]The record Georgian champions missed out on Europe last term, and have not progressed from a two-legged tie since 2019/20. They are looking to make it back to the group phase for the first time since 2004/05, when they participated in the UEFA Cup proper.[/p][p]There were several recent participants in the UECL league phase that started their difficult task of making it back this week. North Macedonia's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/shkendija-tetovo/je0pik4r/"]Shkendija[/a] were among the most convincing winners, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tamba-fabrice/A56vmJc4/"]Fabrice Tamba[/a]'s brace [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/europa-fc-jPGTrS5I/shkendija-je0pik4r/?mid=CAwrx8JD"]helping them to a 5-0 defeat[/a] of [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/europa-fc/jPGTrS5I/"]Europa FC[/a]. The Gibraltarian outfit failed to register a shot on target in the match. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/caernarfon-CzgD4yW5/levadia-zNmMkSLj/?mid=CS8cvb0s"]Also winning by the same scoreline[/a] were [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/flora/zLFV5ykn/"]FCI Levadia Tallinn[/a], who beat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/caernarfon/CzgD4yW5/"]Caernarfon Town[/a] away.[/p][p]Late goals also were a theme in this opening week of action. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/morales-borja/pxE1nWzE/"]Borja Morales[/a] was [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/atletic-escaldes/hQcdh3te/"]Atletic Club d'Escaldes[/a]' hero as the Spaniard scored a 94th minute winner - his second of the game - as his side defeated [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/mornar-bar/pU3CDOHp/"]Mornar Bar[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/atletic-escaldes-hQcdh3te/mornar-bar-pU3CDOHp/?mid=UByeM4Nb"]2-1[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/barisic-bartol/GO1cFpdk/"]Bartol Barisic[/a] also scored in the same minute for Bosnia's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fk-sarajevo/MNOCxFD0/"]FK Sarajevo[/a] as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fk-sarajevo-MNOCxFD0/inter-turku-QwkNUoNH/?mid=Wd5DzGa6"]they avoided defeat in a 1-1 draw[/a] versus [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/inter-turku/QwkNUoNH/"]Inter Turku[/a] of Finland.[/p][p]Andorra's other UECL participant, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fc-santa-coloma/v1MelMDR/"]FC Santa Coloma[/a], got past [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/penybont/zym4viel/"]Penybont[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/fc-santa-coloma-v1MelMDR/penybont-zym4viel/?mid=YuWRz4xh"]1-0 in Wales[/a], with the home side failing to convert a penalty. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/kalju-6sqJGMx9/linfield-YiTk9JCq/?mid=SOdN7585"]That was the score in Estonia[/a] as well, where [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kalju/6sqJGMx9/"]Nomme Kalju[/a] triumphed over [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/linfield/YiTk9JCq/"]Linfield[/a].[/p][embed guid="97615bcb-863d-45e5-b0c8-ceb928140196" url="https://x.com/fcsantacoloma/status/2075332982202577267?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Malta's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hamrun/0EeKzT9a/"]Hamrun Spartans[/a], who featured in the league phase last term, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/hamrun-0EeKzT9a/nsi-runavik-UaOluym1/?mid=jaRLPwUj"]were held to a 1-1 stalemate[/a] in the Faroe Islands against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/nsi-runavik/UaOluym1/"]NSI Runavik[/a]. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bjornstad-tobias/nkWw4Ol2/"]Tobias Bjornstad[/a] drew the visitors level shortly before the hour mark after they went behind in the first half.[/p][p]Other former group phase sides saw mixed results. [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/alashkert/lpzQXDLF/"]Alashkert[/a], for instance, needed an 86th minute goal to earn [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/alashkert-lpzQXDLF/yelimay-semey-GEwrHVl3/?mid=W0u1eyJr"]a 1-1 home draw[/a] against European debutants [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/yelimay-semey/GEwrHVl3/"]Yelimay[/a]. Fellow Armenian side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/pyunik-yerevan/SGwIMoNO/"]Pyunik[/a] managed to prevail, beating [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/marsaxlokk/6LJg5A2T/"]Marsaxlokk[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/marsaxlokk-6LJg5A2T/pyunik-yerevan-SGwIMoNO/?mid=CvsHigI7"]3-0[/a].[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/fc-astana/M34GD2Gt/"]Astana[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/dinamo-tirana-KdZNQkgm/fc-astana-M34GD2Gt/?mid=lEeN2JQ8"]came out on top 1-0[/a] at [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/dinamo-tirana/KdZNQkgm/"]Dinamo Tirana[/a], though [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/din-minsk/Wtzu8xF1/"]Dinamo Minsk[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/din-minsk-Wtzu8xF1/sileks-OOOcul3J/?mid=lzi1oXDO"]were beaten 1-0[/a] by North Macedonian side [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/sileks/OOOcul3J/"]Sileks[/a].[/p][p]The first games of this season's Conference League were on Tuesday, where [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/una-strassen/jB6Sq2yc/"]UNA Strassen[/a]'s [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/perez-nicolas/nVQ8VXic/"]Nicolas Perez[/a] netted the first goal with five minutes to go. That helped his side defeat [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/la-fiorita/2BZasmEM/"]La Fiorita[/a] [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/la-fiorita-2BZasmEM/una-strassen-jB6Sq2yc/?mid=URFZdlfm"]1-0 at home[/a] to take a first leg lead to San Marino next Tuesday, where the first team to be eliminated from Europe will be confirmed. This past Tuesday [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/af-elbasani-QBmz1ReP/bate-GnDSyToM/?mid=CEBklKBF"]also had a 1-1 draw[/a] between [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/af-elbasani/QBmz1ReP/"]AF Elbasani[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/bate/GnDSyToM/"]BATE Borisov[/a].[/p][p]Wednesday will have two matches, before the remaining 23 first qualifying round deciders will take place the day after.[/p][p][b][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/soccer/europe/conference-league/"]Follow all of the UEFA Conferenece League qualifiers on Flashscore.[/a][/b][/p]