Jānis Ikaunieks scores as RFS edge Jelgava in tight away win

In Round 20 of the TonyBet Virslīga, reigning Latvian champions RFS secured their second consecutive narrow victory, defeating FS Jelgava 1–0 away from home.

The match continued the trend of closely contested games between these two sides this season. In their earlier meetings, RFS had edged a 1–0 win in stoppage time during the first round, while Jelgava managed a dramatic 2–2 draw in the second.

Coincidentally, just hours before kickoff, RFS and Jelgava were also drawn to face each other in the Latvian Cup Round of 16, scheduled for July 12 or 13, adding extra intrigue to an already tense fixture.

Jelgava entered the match without several key players. Czech midfielder Ondřej Ullman served the second match of his suspension, while Roberts Veips and Viktors Promiss were left out of the squad. For RFS, there was a notable inclusion on the bench—Dāvis Ikaunieks, returning to the squad after his time abroad.

RFS dominated possession in the first half, controlling the ball for most of the period and registering double-digit shot attempts, four of which were saved by Jelgava goalkeeper Adam Dvořák. The visitors focused their attacks down the left flank, consistently testing veteran defender Armands Pētersons.

Their persistence on that side paid dividends in the 56th minute. Lasha Odisharia beat Pētersons on the wing and squared the ball for Jānis Ikaunieks, who calmly slotted it home to give RFS a 1–0 lead.

RFS had a golden opportunity to double the lead in the 77th minute, when a defensive error resulted in a one-on-one chance for Dmitrijs Zelenkovs. However, he sent his shot narrowly wide of the post.

Both coaches were conservative with substitutions. Jelgava’s Aleksandrs Basovs made his first change in the 79th minute, replacing Pētersons with Mārcis Šusts. RFS head coach Viktors Morozs waited until the 84th minute to make his only change, bringing on Dāvis Ikaunieks for his first Virslīga appearance in over four years. His last match in the Latvian league had come in the first half of the 2021 season with FK Liepāja.

With the win, RFS recorded their second straight 1–0 victory and climbed to 46 points after 20 games, maintaining second place in the table. Jelgava, with 24 points from the same number of matches, sits sixth in the standings, having now lost back-to-back games by the same narrow scoreline.

FS Jelgava vs FC RFS – 0:1 (0:0)
Goals: J.Ikaunieks 56′
JEL: Dvorak, Muhammad, Purs, Aļekseičiks, Yuzvak, Holoubek, Penkevics, Boroduška, Bečers (Kašica 88′), Pētersons (Šusts 79′), Emenike (Ivanovs 88′)
RFS: Nerugals, Mares, Lipuscek, Prenga, Savaļnieks, Panic, Zelenkovs, Karashima, Odisharia (D. Ikaunieks 84′), Lemajič

Virslīga Matchday 20 games:

• 25.06.2025 – FK Tukums 2000 vs FK Liepāja – 1:3
• 26.06.2025 – BFC Daugavpils vs FK Grobiņa – 2:3
• 26.06.2025 – FS Jelgava vs FC RFS – 0:1
• 27.06.2025 – FK Auda vs Riga FC – 18:00
• 27.06.2025 – SK Super Nova vs FK Metta – 20:00