Riga Futsal Club’s UEFA Futsal Champions League campaign came to an end at the quarter-final stage on Friday night, despite a 1-0 home victory over Spanish giants Palma in Rīga.
The Latvian champions entered the second leg needing to overturn a three-goal deficit after losing the first match 4-7 in Spain, and the narrow win in the return fixture left them eliminated 5-7 on aggregate.
After a goalless first half in which Riga applied most of the pressure, head coach Tiago Polido looked for a breakthrough midway through the second period by switching to a five-outfield-player system in an attempt to increase attacking momentum.
Despite controlling possession for long spells, Riga struggled to create clear chances. Their task became even more difficult when captain Dylan Vargas was shown a second yellow card after using his hands to stop a Palma counterattack while the Spanish side had their goalkeeper off the court.
Palma attempted to manage the closing stages with the extra player advantage, but Riga finally broke through inside the final minute when the ball deflected into the net off Palma player Deivau for an own goal. However, with little time remaining, the hosts were unable to produce the additional goals needed to complete a comeback.
The match also ended a remarkable run for Palma, who arrived in Rīga on a 30-match unbeaten streak in European competition.
With their European campaign now finished, Riga Futsal Club will turn their full attention to the Latvian Futsal Virslīga, where they remain undefeated after 14 matches this season.
Source: https://sportacentrs.com/futbols/futzals/06032026-riga_futzalisti_mazakuma_pieveic_palma_be
