Middlesbrough striker Joao Morelli is on loan at Levadia Tallinn until the end of the year.

Middlesbrough striker Joao Morelli is on loan at Levadia Tallinn until the end of the year.

AS THE COUNTRY’S in-form team, Cork City appear to be the most likely of the four SSE Airtricity League clubs to make an impact in Europe this season.

However, their opponents in their Europa League first round tie are a side who have been similarly impressive domestically in 2017.

Although they trail leaders and city rivals Flora Tallinn by four points at the top of Estonia’s Meistriliiga, Levadia Tallinn are unbeaten in their 17 league games so far this season.

The club was only formed in 1998, but Levadia have been crowned Estonian champions on nine occasions. Like Cork City, they had to settle for second place in 2016.

City shouldn’t lack confidence for tomorrow’s first leg (4.30pm Irish time, Eir Sport), which will be played at the 1,500-capacity Rannastaadion in Parnu, two hours away from Tallinn. Levadia’s Kadriorg Stadium is unavailable to host the game.

With 18 wins from their 19 league games this season, Cork City are currently 15 points clear — with a game in hand — of Dundalk at the top of the SSE Airtricity League Premier Division.

The Leesiders will also take encouragement from last season’s Europa League campaign. After eliminating Linfield and Swedish Cup holders BK Hacken, they eventually went out despite performing well over two legs against a Genk side that reached the quarter-finals.

First-leg away goals against Linfield and Hacken were crucial for City, but their failure to convert several chances in Belgium proved costly in the tie with Genk. John Caulfield therefore knows how important it will be to find the net in Estonia.

“You need to score an away goal in Europe. There was a time when maybe you’d be happy coming away with a nil-all, but I think you need to score away from home. That’s something we learned last year,” the Cork City manager said.

Cork City manager John Caulfield. Source: James Crombie/INPHO

“In terms of our approach, we certainly won’t be putting everyone behind the ball and sitting back. We’ll be looking to score, while obviously not being careless or stupid. But I think you need an away goal. It’s so important in these ties now.”

The Levadia Tallinn side is littered with Estonian internationals, including key defender Igor Morozov and 31-year-old captain Rimo Hunt, an experienced attacker and their leading scorer this season with 11 goals. But the main threat to Cork City may come from 21-year-old Brazilian playmaker Joao Morelli.

Since arriving at Levadia on loan from Middlesbrough in April, Morelli has scored nine times. With Cork City’s analyst Lisa Fallon in attendance, Morelli netted twice in Levadia’s 3-0 win over Nomme United in the Estonian Cup last weekend.

“Obviously we have done our research on Levadia,” said Caulfield. “They are second in the table and they have four or five very strong players. Morelli, the Brazilian on loan from Middlesbrough, is their playmaker.

“Their captain, the centre-forward Hunt, is an Estonian international and gets a lot of goals for them. They are quick up front, very direct and they get the ball into the box. [Pavel] Marin, who plays wide right, is also an Estonian international. They score lots of goals; they have 48 in 17 league matches and they are unbeaten this season.”

He added: “In my opinion, they look like a team that would be in the top four in our own league, and the intensity of the top games in the league here is similar to our own.”

Levadia Tallinn's Igor Morozov tangling with England's Jack Wilshere during a Euro 2016 qualifier for Estonia. Source: PA Archive/PA Images

Levadia’s meeting with Cork City will represent their fourth tie against a League of Ireland club. After being eliminated from the Champions League qualifying rounds by Bohemians in 2001, they gained revenge against the Gypsies three years later in the Uefa Cup. They suffered a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Drogheda United in the Champions League qualifiers in 2008.

In recent years, Levadia were dumped out of the Champions League qualifying rounds by Belfast outfit Crusaders in 2015. After defeating Icelandic side HB last season in the Europa League qualifiers, they went out on away goals to Slavia Prague.

Cork City have travelled to Estonia without club captain Johnny Dunleavy, who’s been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Having missed last Friday’s league win against Derry City due to respective achilles and ankle problems, Steven Beattie and Alan Bennett are both expected to be available to John Caulfield.

The second leg of Cork City’s tie against Levadia Tallinn will take place at Turner’s Cross on Thursday, 6 July. The winners will face AEK Larnaca (Cyprus) or Lincoln (Gibraltar) in the second round.