In the second leg of the UEFA Conference League first qualifying round of the 2026/27 season, Pyunik hosted the Maltese side Marsaxlokk, having convincingly won the first leg away 3-0 and virtually securing their spot in the next round.

Compared to the first match, Artak Oseyan made only one change to Pyunik's starting lineup. Instead of Momo Yansané, who had scored a goal and provided an assist in Malta, Cypriot Yasonas Pikis started upfront in our team's attack.

Following the convincing and confident victory in the first match, many expected Pyunik to face no trouble in the second leg as well and defeat the Maltese team by a large margin once again.

In any case, our team's task became easier early on when Marsaxlokk was reduced to ten men in the 10th minute. Daniil Kulikov played a delicate and calculated pass to send Yasonas Pikis one-on-one. Marsaxlokk goalkeeper Christopher Mafoumbi rushed out and committed a foul, prompting Irish referee Aaron O'Dowd to show him a red card for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity.

However, surprisingly enough, the numerical advantage provided little tangible benefit to Pyunik. It felt as though our players, content with the 3-goal cushion from the first leg, lacked dynamism and attacking sharpness. Be that as it may, the first half ended goalless.

After the break, Pyunik created their first serious chance in the 54th minute when substitute Vyacheslav Afyan unleashed a powerful strike from outside the penalty area, forcing the opposition keeper into a fingertip save to tip the ball out for a corner.

In the 60th minute, Momo Yansané came on as a substitute, and the Guinean forward once again made an impactful contribution.

In the 77th minute, Karlen Hovhannisyan won the ball back and immediately fed Momo Yansané, who was preparing to finish inside the box. However, Marsaxlokk defender Weder Silva tripped our striker, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the penalty spot. Daniil Kulikov stepped up and calmly broke the deadlock to make it 1-0.

Incidentally, this goal was a historical for our club, marking Pyunik's 100th goal in European competitions.

Our team secured a narrow victory and advanced to the second qualifying round of the Conference League, where they will face Hungary's Debrecen.

The first leg of that tie will take place on July 23 in Hungary, while the return leg will be played on July 30 at the Vazgen Sargsyan Republican Stadium.