Rezes rescues Debrecen from defeat

An added-time away goal from Debreceni VSC substitute László Rezes salvaged a 1-1 draw at FC Levadia Tallinn, giving last season's group-stage participants the advantage going into next week's UEFA Champions League second qualifying round return in Hungary.

Rezes finished emphatically from close range via the crossbar to deny Levadia victory in an open encounter which featured several chances for both sides. Tarmo Neemelo had headed Igor Prins' team into the lead on 59 minutes shortly after Adamo Coulibaly had been denied by the legs of Levadia goalkeeper Martin Kaalma.

Levadia's Deniss Malov was the first to try his luck with a shot which drifted wide from the edge of the penalty area after 14 minutes, before the hosts' captain Konstantin Nahk rattled the crossbar with a long-range free-kick. The second half was seven minutes old when Coulibaly's effort was saved by Kaalma after Péter Kabát skipped past two challenges in the penalty area, a miss for which he was punished when Neemelo connected with Nahk's centre.

Debrecen responded with Péter Czvitkovics firing in a free-kick which Kaalma clawed away from the top corner. Just as the Estonian titleholders were anticipating taking a narrow lead into the second leg on 21 July, Czvitkovics' defence-splitting pass allowed Rezes to level the tie.