Riga FC recovered from an early setback to produce a dominant second-half performance in Hungary, securing a 1-1 draw against Gyor and a 2-1 aggregate victory to move within one step of reaching the UEFA Conference League league phase.
The Latvian champions fell behind early in the second leg of their third qualifying round tie, but responded strongly after the break. Substitute Caio Ferreira scored the crucial equaliser as Riga took control of the contest and ensured their European journey would continue into the play-off round.
Riga FC survived an early scare when Gyor came within inches of opening the scoring, but defender Andres Salazar cleared the ball off the goal line after it had beaten goalkeeper Frenks Dāvids Orols.
The Latvian side created their first real opportunity in the 14th minute as Reginaldo Ramires broke through on goal, only to fire into the side netting from a tight angle. Midway through the first half, Karl Wassom who started in the place of Orlando Galo compared to the first leg match, tested goalkeeper Samuel Petras from a narrow angle, but a few moments later Raki Aouani dispossessed a defender near the byline and squared for Ramires, whose close-range effort was heroically blocked.
Győr found the breakthrough after a costly mistake from Orols. The Riga goalkeeper clattered into Viktor Djukanovic while attempting to deal with a cross, allowing Željko Gavric to convert the resulting penalty and level the tie on aggregate.
Riga had an excellent chance to restore their aggregate lead before half-time when Wassom sent Ramires through one-on-one, but the Brazilian’s attempted chip drifted over the crossbar. At the other end, Gavric came close to doubling Gyor’s lead, sending his effort narrowly wide.
The visitors dominated possession throughout the second half and repeatedly pushed Gyor back into their own half. Aouani forced a fine save from Petras with a powerful effort in the 62nd minute, while Paulo Eduardo rattled the crossbar from distance following a corner.
The first major chance in the second half for the hosts came in the 81st minute when Claudio Bumba failed to connect properly with a bouncing ball from just a few metres out.
But for the Riga, the breakthrough finally arrived in the 89th minute. Salazar as he did all game long surged forward down the left flank before delivering a low cross into the six-yard box, where substitute Caio Ferreira arrived to fire home from close range and level the match at 1-1, restoring Riga’s aggregate advantage.
Riga comfortably saw out six minutes of stoppage time to secure their place in the UEFA Conference League play-off round, where they will face the loser of the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round tie between Polish champions Lech Poznan and Faroese champions KI Klaksvik. The second leg was postponed until Friday after Lech’s flight to the Faroe Islands was delayed by adverse weather. The Polish side hold a 1-0 advantage from the first leg.
Gyor vs Riga FC – 1-1 (1-0) 1-2 on aggregate
Goals: Gavric 28′ | Ferreira 88′
