One of those matches that spirals out of control and leaves more debate about the incidents than the football itself. Laçi beat Vllaznia 2-0 in Kurbin, but the game was marked by constant tension, a red card that sparked protests and a stoppage that stretched the contest to 110 minutes.
First half with tempo, chances and clashes
The match started at a high intensity and Vllaznia threatened as early as the first minute through Musta. The Shkodra side kept more possession, while Laçi looked dangerous on the counterattack.
Around the 33rd minute, the tension moved from the football to physical confrontations. The incident also involved the benches, forcing referee Kreshnik Cjapi to stop the match for several minutes. Nerguti and Murataj were shown yellow cards, while the first half ended 0-0.
Laçi strike after the break
The second half began with changes in the lineups, but it was Laçi who quickly made the difference on the scoreboard. In the 50th minute, after a quick move by Traore, the ball went to Cena, who finished accurately for 1-0.
The goal gave the home side the lead at a moment when the match remained open, while Vllaznia searched for a response to stop the contest from slipping away.
The red card and the stoppage that changed everything
The most debated moment came in the 71st minute, when Mehmeti was shown a straight red card. The decision drew strong reactions from the Shkodra camp, including sporting director Vioresin Sinani.
The situation worsened further after an object was thrown from the stands. At that point, the referee decided to suspend the match and, according to the official version of events on the pitch, requested that the problematic section be cleared before play resumed.
19 minutes of added time and the closing goal
After around 11 minutes of stoppage, play resumed in the 88th minute. Vllaznia were already down to 10 men and had no real time left to reorganize their response.
Laçi took advantage immediately: in the 89th minute, a cross from Azizi found Traore at the far post and the hosts scored their second goal. The referee then awarded 19 minutes of added time, an unusual figure for Albanian football. Vllaznia had a clear chance through Balaj in the 90+4th minute, but failed to convert it.
In the end, Laçi took all three points with a 2-0 victory, while the match ended with more noise over the handling of tension and the incidents than over the sporting quality.
The clash in Kurbin thus became a rare episode for the Albanian championship, where the result was sealed amid stoppages, protests and added time far outside any normal routine.