Tonybet Virslīga’s fifth round delivered late drama as FK Auda secured a historic 2-1 away victory over FK Liepāja, thanks to Barthelemy Diedhiou’s decisive goal in stoppage time. The win marks the first time in club history that Auda have beaten Liepāja on the road and, at least temporarily, lifts them to the top of the league table.
FK Liepāja, coached by Andreas Alm, came into the match looking to respond after their 0-2 away defeat to BFC Daugavpils. The hosts made several changes to their lineup, most notably in goal, where regular starter Danijel Petkovič was absent due to family reasons, who is in Montenegro. In his place, Dāvis Ošs made his first appearance of the season. Meanwhile, Auda head coach Didier Zanneti kept faith in the same starting eleven that had secured an impressive win over RFS in the previous round.
The visitors started brighter, and it did not take long for them to make an impact. In the ninth minute, one of the season’s breakout stars, Panamanian forward Josue Vergara, found the net once again. The 18-year-old struck from the middle of the penalty area, and despite a slight deflection, the ball found its way past the goalkeeper and into the net. With this goal, Vergara became the Virslīga’s top scorer, tallying four goals and two assists in just five matches.
The remainder of the first half offered little in terms of clear-cut chances, with the game largely turning into a physical battle. Liepāja’s best opportunity came via a deflection from a cross on the right flank, which narrowly missed the post after taking a touch off an Auda defender.
The hosts found their equalizer early in the second half, capitalizing on a costly mistake from Auda goalkeeper Nils Toms Puriņš. The Brazilian forward Fellipe Vieira intercepted the error and calmly converted, scoring his first goal of the season to make it 1-1.
As the match progressed, it grew increasingly aggressive, with both teams committing numerous fouls. Auda, in particular, found themselves frequently in the referee’s notebook, collecting five of their six yellow cards after the break.
The final stages of the match were chaotic, with mistakes creeping in on both sides. Auda ultimately took advantage of one such moment deep into stoppage time. After regaining possession in midfield, they launched a quick attack. Eduards Dašķevičs delivered a cross into the box, where Barthelemy Diedhiou controlled the ball and finished from close range to restore the lead.
Liepāja had one last opportunity to salvage a point, earning a corner in the dying seconds. Even goalkeeper Dāvis Ošs joined the attack, and Iļja Korotkovs managed a strong header on goal. However, Puriņš redeemed his earlier mistake with an excellent save, securing all three points for Auda.
With this victory, FK Auda not only claim a historic away win over Liepāja but also move to the top of the Virslīga standings with 12 points from five matches – continuing their impressive start to the season.
FK Liepāja vs FK Auda – 1-2 (0-1)
Goals: Vieira 52′ | Vergara 9′, Diedhiou 90+1′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  RFS |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 12 |
| 2 |  FK Auda |
5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 12 |
| 3 |  Riga FC |
4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 9 |
| 4 |  Super Nova |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 7 |
| 5 |  Grobiņa |
4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| 6 |  FK Liepāja |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 6 |
| 7 |  BFC Daugavpils |
5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 10 | -3 | 6 |
| 8 |  FS Jelgava |
5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 12 | -9 | 4 |
| 9 |  FK Tukums 2000 |
4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 6 | -2 | 2 |
| 10 |  Ogre United |
5 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 | 8 | -5 | 1 |
