Champions RFS edge Liepāja in final tune-up before Champions League clash

Latvian champions RFS kicked off Matchday 22 of the TonyBet Virslīga with a hard-fought 2–1 victory over FK Liepāja on Friday night, in what served as their final rehearsal before embarking on their European campaign. A goal in each half, including a 17th of the season from league top scorer Darko Lemajić, was enough to secure the three points for RFS, despite a late stunner from Liepāja’s Djibril Gueye.

The match marked RFS’s last domestic appearance before heading to Tallinn to face Estonian champions Levadia in the first round of UEFA Champions League qualification next Tuesday.

Compared to their previous match on Daugavpils’ artificial pitch, RFS made three changes to the starting eleven. The returning Robert Savaļnieks rejoined the side after injury, along with Haruna Njie and the prolific Lemajić. For Liepāja, it was a night of surprise rotations — head coach Andreas Alm handed a debut to Aleksejs Saveļjevs, while star forwards Djibril Gueye and Bruno Melnis were left on the bench.

The visitors from Kurzeme looked the more dangerous in the opening half-hour. Dutch striker Kyvon Leidsman found himself in promising positions on two occasions but failed to convert. Just before halftime, Liepāja nearly took the lead when Moustapha Diaw’s low drive toward the near post was miraculously blocked by RFS keeper Jevgenijs Nerugals’ outstretched foot.

But the defending champions struck a sucker punch deep into first-half stoppage time. From a corner, Žiga Lipušček rose to flick the ball toward the back post, where Stefan Panić stretched to steer it into the net from close range — 1–0 to RFS, despite Liepāja’s earlier dominance.

RFS doubled their advantage on the hour mark, showcasing the kind of attacking fluency that has made them title favorites once again. After a patient build-up, Lasha Odisharia delivered a pinpoint cross into the box, and Lemajić made no mistake, powering a header into the net for his league-leading 17th goal of the season.

Up 2–0, RFS continued to push. Jānis Ikaunieks rattled the Liepāja crossbar with a curling effort, while on the other Ede Oloko missed a golden opportunity to bring the visitors back into the match.

Late in the game, new signing Barthelemy Diedhiou — recently acquired on loan from BFC Daugavpils — made his debut for RFS. The Senegalese forward made an impression, collecting a yellow card and later striking the crossbar.

With time ticking down, Liepāja finally had something to cheer about. In the additional time, substitute Djibril Gueye, left on the bench to start, produced a moment of magic — an acrobatic overhead kick that flew past the RFS keeper to make it 2–1. It was a goal worthy of a wider audience, but it came too late to rescue a result for the visitors.

The loss ends Liepāja’s seven-match unbeaten run, while RFS head into their Champions League qualifier with momentum, quality, and their title credentials once again on full display.

FC RFS vs FK Liepāja – 2:1 (1:0)
Goals: Panic 45+1′, Lemajic 63′ | Gueye 90+4′
RFS: Nerugals, Mares, Lipuscek, Prenga, Savaļnieks, Panic, Njie (D. Ikaunieks 79′), Zelenkovs, J. Ikaunieks, Odisharia (Diedhiou 79′) – Lemajic (Stuglis 90′).
LIE: Petkovic, Iļjins, Babic, Vientiess, Sorokins, Korobenko (Melnis 71′), Patijčuks (Ogunniyi 63′), Diaw (Gueye 71′), Leidsman (Oloko 63′), Traore (Samba 90′)

Virslīga Matchday 22:

• 04.07.2025 – FC RFS vs FK Liepāja – 2:1
• 05.07.2025 – FK Auda vs FS Jelgava – 18:00
• 06.07.2025 – FK Grobiņa vs FK Metta – 16:00
• 06.07.2025 – SK Super Nova vs FK Tukums 2000 – 18:00
• 06.07.2025 – Riga FC vs BFC Daugavpils – 19:00