| Dinamo Tbilisi effectively put one foot into the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round following a comfortable 3-0 victory against KF Tirana behind closed doors at the Boris Paichadze stadium in the Georgian capital. Dinamo were serving a one-match ban following bottle throwing incidents during their UEFA Cup first round second-leg match against Czech side FC Slovan Liberec last season. However, despite the absence of fans the hosts quickly forced their Albanian opponents on to the back foot. Levan Melkadze scored the first goal of the 2003/04 Champions League season when he tapped in from close range after six minutes following Lado Akhalaia's cross. The goal provided the perfect start not only for the home side but for Melkadze, who was making his debut after signing from FC WIT Georgia in recent days. The early goal settled Dinamo, and they deservedly doubled their advantage in stoppage time of the first half when George Anchabadze rounded Ndubuisi Egbo in the Tirana goal to score after latching on to Melkadze's accurate through-ball. The Georgian champions added their third goal five minutes after the restart when Vitali Daraselia fired into the net from the penalty spot after Akhalaia was deemed to have been fouled. Tirana threatened to hit back on the hour when they were awarded a spot-kick after Saimir Patushi was fouled by Vladimer Burduli. However Dinamo 'keeper Irakli Zoidze saved Indrit Fortuzi's effort to deny the Albanians a crucial away goal. The return leg takes place in the Albanian capital next week, with the aggregate winners facing Austrian side Grazer AK in the next stage of the competition. Teams: Referee: MALCOLM David (NIR) Booked: Khizaneishvili, Anchabadze, Dede Attendance: 0 Pictures: |
| Dinamo Tbilisi 3-0 SK Tirana |
| 16th July 2003 |
| Dinamo Tbilisi |
| SK Tirana |
| 1 Egbo 2 Sina 3 Dabulla 4 Dede 8 Bulku 46 10 Muka 11 Fortuzi 14 Halili 46 19 Lici 72 20 Xhafa 24 Pinari Subs: 12 Hidi 17 Prenga 9 Bulku 15 Agolli 16 Hajdari 46 21 Patushi 46 23 Merkoci 72 |
| 1 Zoidze 81 5 Shashiashvili 6 Daraselia 86 7 Gogoberishvili 8 Burduli 10 Anchabadze 14 Akhalaia 16 Kvirkvelia 18 Melkadze 66 24 Amisulashvili 25 Khizaneishvili Subs: 22 Gvaramadze 81 3 Kandelaki 66 4 Tsereteli 9 Sakhvadze 19 Da Rosha 86 20 Iashvili 23 Samkharadze |
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| Melkadze, 6 Anchabadze, 45 Daraselia, 50pen |
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| Lado Akhalaia and Luan Pinari battle for the ball |