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Inter Escaldes came close to pulling off a feat at home, but bids farewell to the Champions League

Inter Club d'Escaldes' European dream came to an end, but they did so with their heads held high and leaving a great impression at their Encamp stadium. The Andorrans beat FCSB, the legendary Steaua Bucharest, 2-1 in the second leg of the first qualifying round of the 2024-25 Champions League, but the 3-1 defeat in Romania proved too much to overcome.

With a goal conceded in the 51st minute, it seemed that all was lost. But the team led by Felipe Ortiz from Lleida did not give up. They drew on their pride, their bench and their heart to come back with two goals from substitutes: first Sascha Andreu and then Alexandre Llovet, who made it 2-1 with two minutes to go. In the final moments, Inter even dreamed of extra time. It didn't happen, but the applause at the final whistle said it all: the effort deserved recognition.

Ortiz opted for a line-up packed with Spanish talent. Goalkeeper Javi Díaz took to the field, alongside a defence made up of Joseba Muguruza, Andrés Mohedano, David Humanes and Camilo Puentes. In midfield, Ángel de la Torre, Víctor Alonso and Rafinha brought order, while Adrià Muñoz fought up front in search of a miracle. All of them played a serious game, without hiding from an opponent with much more history and budget.

FCSB's goal, scored by Risto Radunovic, came after the break and seemed to seal the tie. But that was when the spirit of Inter Escaldes came to the fore. Andreu equalised after a good team move in the 67th minute and Llovet made it 2-1 in the 88th minute after a cross from the right that he finished with quality. For a few minutes, Encamp dreamed of extra time, which would have been epic, but the clock was stronger than hope.

Despite their elimination, the Andorran team's performance in this tie leaves a very different taste to that of other years. They competed, they believed and they stood up to a European football giant. That is no small feat.

Other notable results

Meanwhile, there were other interesting stories in this first preliminary round of the Champions League. Malta's Hamrun Spartans pulled off one of the surprises by coming back from 2-0 down in the first leg to beat Lithuania's Žalgiris 3-0. Gibraltar's Lincoln FC also qualified thanks to a tight 3-2 aggregate win over Víkingur from the Faroe Islands. And Iceland's Breidablik ran riot with a devastating 5-0 win over Albania's Egnatia to make it clear that they too want their moment in Europe.

Malmö, for their part, did not falter against Iberia Tbilisi, and Zrinjski Mostar sealed their passage with another victory, this time against San Marino's Virtus.

The second round is coming

In the next phase, heavyweights such as Copenhagen of Denmark, Red Star of Serbia, Ferencvaros of Hungary and Dynamo Kiev await. These are teams accustomed to navigating the deep waters of continental football. Malmo will face RFS of Latvia, while Lincoln Red Imps will have the daunting task of eliminating Red Star.

Other notable match-ups include Hamrun against Dynamo Kyiv and FC Noah, who will try to cause an upset against Ferencváros. Shelbourne or Linfield, depending on the result of the last tie, will face the always difficult Qarabag from Azerbaijan.

No prize, but pride

Inter Escaldes' adventure is coming to an end, yes, but it is doing so with a moral victory: the team competed, won the second leg and showed that, with hard work, small clubs can also make their mark in Europe. Felipe Ortiz and his team are leaving with their heads held high. And in such a demanding competition, that is already a victory.