Today in Riga, under snowy winter conditions, the Livonian Cup match brought together the 2023 Latvian and Estonian football champions, RFS and Flora. Originally planned to take place on natural grass, the game was relocated to the artificial turf of the “LNK Sporta Parks” stadium. This match was initially scheduled for the summer, but due to calendar conflicts, it had to be postponed to a later date.
RFS came into the game following a remarkable season, securing the Latvian championship title, triumphing in the Latvian Cup, and making it to the league phase of the UEFA Europa League. Meanwhile, “Flora” concluded the Estonian championship in fourth place and fell short in the third round of UEFA Conference League qualification.
The match began with RFS showcasing much stronger and more dominant play. Flora, fielding a less-than-optimal lineup, opted for a deep defensive approach right from the start. In the 16th minute, Jānis Ikaunieks opened the scoring for RFS, capitalizing on a pass from Dmitrijs Zelenkovs. Just seven minutes later, in the 23rd minute, Stefan Panić doubled the lead with a precise header off a corner kick delivered by Roberts Savaļnieks, making it 2–0.
As the second half kicked off, RFS made a massive nine substitutions. Among those brought onto the field was Barthelemy Diedhiou, who had previously played for BFC Daugavpils this season. Unfortunately, in the 56th minute, Dragoljub Savić suffered an injury, temporarily halting RFS’s momentum. The 64th minute saw Diedhiou lead a dangerous counterattack, but Flora’s Kolobov executed a perfect sliding tackle to neutralize the threat. In the 71st minute, Adam Markhiyev nearly scored with a header into a half-empty net, only for a Flora defender to make a dramatic clearance on the goal line. RFS further extended their lead in the 74th minute when Valerijs Lizunovs scored from an accurate pass by Markhiyev, bringing the score to 3–0. Just seconds later, Flora’s defense once again stepped up to block another close-range effort. In the 88th minute, RFS goalkeeper Sergejs Vilkovs made a costly error, presenting Flora with a golden opportunity. However, the Flora striker failed to convert into the open goal.
Lineups:
RFS: Ondoa (46′ Vilkovs) – Zelenkovs (46′ Diedhiou), Prenga (46′ Ošs), Lipušček (46′ Stuglis), Balodis (46′ Tchibinda), Savaļnieks (46′ Savic (58′ Odisharia)) – Panič (46′ Markhiyev), Silagadze (46′ Miņins), Campbell – Kouadio (36′ Lizunovs), Ikaunieks (46′ Nagasawa)
Flora: Lapa (84′ Rebane) – Lukka (70′ Valdmets), Veering, Kolobov (84′ Priimann), Tougjas – Alamaa (84′ Zenjov), Lukas (84′ Leivategija), Prunn (61′ Kukk) – Kuraksin (61′ Kaares), Varjund, Mihhailov (70′ Sappinen)