Riga FC earned a 1-0 victory over Sparta Prague on Wednesday night at Skonto Stadium, but the result wasn’t enough to secure a place in the UEFA Conference League main stage. The Czech champions advanced 2-1 on aggregate after their win in Prague.
Sparta looked the stronger side early on, dictating play for much of the opening half-hour. Slovak winger Lukáš Haraslín stood out with moments of individual skill, while Serbian striker Veljko Birmančević wasted the visitors’ best chance in the 35th minute, blasting over from close range.
Riga grew into the contest late in the half: Maksims Toņiševs and Gauthier Mankenda combined well in attack, and Brazilian midfielder Iago Siqueira came closest with a curling free kick that Peter Vindahl clawed away brilliantly. Soon after, Raivis Andris Jurkovskis tried his luck from distance but narrowly missed.
After the break the tempo dipped, but Riga gradually took control, knowing they needed two goals to overturn the tie. Baba Musah and Toņiševs both went close with headers before the breakthrough finally came in the 68th minute. Siqueira collected a pass from Meissa Diop and unleashed a strike from outside the box that deflected on its way past Vindahl into the corner – 1-0 to the hosts. The goal sent the Riga bench and the home crowd into jubilation, reigniting belief of a dramatic comeback.
The closing stages were tense and full of drama. Deep into stoppage time, Kosovo forward Albion Rahmani almost put the tie beyond doubt for Sparta, but goalkeeper Krišjānis Zviedris stood firm. Just moments later, substitute Marko Regža spurned a golden chance to force extra time, firing inches wide of the post. Sparta ultimately held on to preserve their aggregate advantage.
For Riga, it was another near miss on the European stage – a deja vu of 2019, when they also fell just short in the Europa League playoffs, beating Copenhagen 1-0 at home after a 1-3 defeat away, only a single goal from advancing. This time, the story was the same: a spirited performance, a second-half strike, a late golden chance to turn the tie around, and a memorable home win – but still no European football in the autumn.
Riga FC vs Sparta Prague – 1:0 (0:0) – 1:2 on aggregate
Goals: Siqueira 68’
RIG: Zviedris, Jurkovskis, Ngom, Musah, Toņiševs, Galo (Contreras 60’), Ankrah, Siqueira, Grimaldo (Regža 78’), Ramires, Mankenda (Diop 60’)
SPA: Vindahl, Zeleny, Vydra, Uchenna, Rynes (Mercado 73’), Kairinen, Mannsverk (Eneme 62’), Preciado (Suchomel 90+5’), Haraslin, Kuchta (Rrahmani 62’), Birmancevič
