Estonia v San Marino background
Monday, June 1, 2015
Article summary
Estonia will look to avoid witnessing another piece of Sammarinese football history as the sides come together for a second time in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group E.
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Held to a 0-0 draw when the sides met in November, Estonia will look to break a lengthy goalscoring duck when they welcome San Marino in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group E.
Previous meetings
• San Marino ended a 59-game wait for a first UEFA European Championship point when they held Estonia to a 0-0 draw in Serravalle back in November.
• They had not gained a competitive point since 2001, when they drew 1-1 with Latvia in a FIFA World Cup qualifier.
• In the sides' only previous meeting, on 21 May 2002, Arno Pijpers' Estonia got the better of Giampaolo Mazza's San Marino in Serravalle, Indrek Zelinski's 36th-minute strike proving to be the only goal of the game.
• It was Zelinski's 22nd effort for Estonia, and broke Eduard Ellman-Eelma's national goalscoring record. Andres Oper, however, is now Estonia's all-time top scorer with 38, Zelinski having retired with 27 international goals to his name.
Form guide
• Estonia have not scored in four Group E games (D1 L3) since opening with a 1-0 success at home against Slovenia, Ats Purje notching their only strike of the campaign to date.
• San Marino have yet to win a competitive match; their only friendly victory to date was a 1-0 triumph against Liechtenstein on 28 April 2004, Andy Selva scoring the only goal.
• The stalemate against Estonia was San Marino's third competitive draw; they previously held Turkey (0-0, 1993) and Latvia (1-1, 2001) in World Cup qualifiers, the latter result away from home.
• San Marino have not scored in seven competitive games (D1 L6) since Alex Della Valle equalised in a 5-1 home defeat by Poland in September 2013.
Trivia and links
• Midfielder Joel Lindpere could make his 100th appearance for Estonia in the San Marino game.
• In the only encounter to date between the nations' clubs, SP La Fiorita lost 1-0 at home and 7-0 away to Estonia's FC Levadia Tallinn in the first qualifying round of this season's UEFA Champions League.
• The only other meeting between sides from these nations in UEFA club competition came in the UEFA Regions' Cup – the competition for Europe's top amateur teams – where South Amateur from Estonia beat a San Marino national selection 2-0 in September 2002.
• No Sammarinese side has thus scored in five encounters with Estonian opponents.