Saburtalo Tbilisi vs Flora - prediction, team news, lineups

Heading into the 2nd limb of their Champions League archetypal qualifying circular necktie connected Tuesday night, Saburtalo Tbilisi and Flora meet again with the Georgian broadside holding a slender 3-2 aggregate advantage.

The Red Eagles secured triumph successful Estonia past week and volition look Slovan Bratislava successful the 2nd qualifying circular aboriginal this period if they tin decorativeness the occupation connected location soil.

Match preview

Saburtalo Tbilisi, present known arsenic FC Iberia 1999, are presently competing successful conscionable their third-ever Champions League qualifying campaign, with the Georgian broadside lone progressing beyond the archetypal circular erstwhile before.

The Red Eagles suffered an aboriginal exit past play aft losing 6-2 connected aggregate to Malmo, but they person started their 2026-27 European run successful awesome manner aft claiming a 3-2 triumph distant astatine Flora successful the archetypal leg.

Should they advancement to the 2nd qualifying round, Iberia volition beryllium hoping to amended connected their erstwhile champion tally successful the competition, having been eliminated by Dinamo Zagreb astatine that signifier during the 2019-20 campaign.

In the dugout, Andriy Demchenko precocious replaced Guga Nergadze and has endured a mixed commencement astatine a nine that has won back-to-back Georgian league titles.

The nine based successful the Georgia superior presently beryllium apical of the Erovnuli Liga by 2 points and are connected people for a 4th league rubric successful their history, arsenic good arsenic a 3rd consecutive championship, though they person won conscionable 2 of their past 5 home fixtures and were knocked retired of the Georgian Super Cup semi-finals aft a punishment shootout decision against Torpedo Kutaisi.

Iberia's accelerated emergence successful Georgian shot has seen them found themselves arsenic 1 of the country's starring clubs successful caller years, and the adjacent fewer weeks could supply different historical infinitesimal arsenic they effort to scope a signifier of Champions League qualifying they person ne'er antecedently achieved.

As for Tuesday's visitors, Flora question to Tbilisi needing to overturn a 3-2 shortage if they are to suffice for the 2nd circular and proceed their propulsion towards reaching the Champions League due for the archetypal time.

Despite being Estonia's astir palmy top-flight nine aft lifting a grounds 16th Meistriliiga rubric successful 2025, Flora person ne'er progressed beyond the 2nd qualifying circular of the Champions League, though they person reached that signifier connected 3 erstwhile occasions.

Their hopes of securing European shot adjacent play are besides nether menace domestically, with lone the Meistriliiga champions guaranteed a spot successful Champions League qualifying portion the teams finishing 2nd and 3rd participate the Conference League qualifiers.

Konstantin Vassiljev's side presently beryllium 2nd successful the table, 10 points down leaders Levadia astatine the halfway signifier of the campaign, though they bash person a crippled successful hand.

However, Flora person already suffered six league defeats this season, matching their full from the entirety of the 2025 campaign.

Iberia raced into a 2-0 pb aft conscionable 21 minutes successful past week's archetypal limb earlier Flora fought backmost to level the tie, lone for Bakar Kardava's precocious onslaught to reconstruct the Red Eagles' vantage and permission the necktie precise overmuch successful the balance. 

Saburtalo Tbilisi Champions League form:

W

Saburtalo Tbilisi signifier (all competitions):

D L W W L W

Flora Champions League form:

L

Flora signifier (all competitions):

L W L W W L

Team News

Iberia volition beryllium disappointed that their first-leg vantage was reduced aft initially controlling the match, but the show whitethorn promote Demchenko to support changes to a minimum for Tuesday's decisive 2nd leg.

However, they volition stay without defender Derek Agyakwa and attacker Iuri Tabatadze, who are some unavailable owed to injury.

Bakar Kardava is expected to proceed successful midfield, portion 17-year-old loanee winger Andria Bartishvili should clasp his spot successful the lineup.

Flora, meanwhile, volition beryllium forced into astatine slightest 1 alteration aft Airon Kollo was sent disconnected during the 2nd fractional of the archetypal leg.

Kollo received his marching orders for a nonrecreational foul and volition miss this 1 done suspension, with Robert Veering expected to regenerate him successful a 4-3-3 system.

Rauno Sappinen, who has scored 181 goals successful 318 appearances for Flora, is expected to skipper the broadside and pb the enactment erstwhile again arsenic they look to nutrient a memorable comeback.

Saburtalo Tbilisi imaginable starting lineup:

Makaridze; Zohouri, Selimovic, Amisulashvili, Jinjolava; Sikharulashvili, Dadian, Kardava; Bartishvili, Bedoshvili, Natchkebia

Flora imaginable starting lineup:

Grunvald; Kuraksin, Kolobov, Veering, Tovstik; Valdmets, Kreida, Varjund; Zenjov, Sappinen, Alamaa

We say: Saburtalo Tbilisi 2-1 Flora (5-3 aggregate)

Champions League qualifying ties are often hard to predict, but the first-leg effect has fixed Iberia a important vantage heading into Tuesday's meeting.

With Flora forced into changes pursuing Kollo's suspension and the Georgian broadside arriving with the momentum of a first-leg victory, we expect the hosts to implicit the occupation and unafraid a 2nd qualifying circular necktie against Slovan Bratislava.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.