Today’s TonyBet Virslīga Matchday 5 will kick off at 18:00 at the Daugavas Rezerves Stadium. It will feature a matchup between FK Liepāja and Riga FC.
In their previous league match, both teams experienced their first loss of the season. FK Liepāja, leading at halftime against the defending champions FC RFS, faltered in the second half, conceding three quick goals and finishing with a disappointing 1-4 defeat. Meanwhile, in the Riga case, despite dominating in statistics with 35 shot attempts to 5 and an expected goals (xG) ratio of 4.05 to 1.38, Riga FC suffered an upset loss to BFC Daugavpils, ending 1-2.
Following the game, Riga FC manager Adrian Gula accepted responsibility for the loss but emphasized that his players must find ways to convert goal-scoring opportunities and, at the very least, hit the target.
The pressure on the 49-year-old Slovak manager is mounting. His team has only secured five points from four matches, trailing seven points behind leaders FC RFS. Given the costly points lost early in the previous season, which ultimately played a factor in the title decision, this start is even more concerning.
On the injury front, FK Liepāja is likely to be without Vjačeslavs Isajevs, who sustained a calf injury during the match against FC RFS and was substituted in the first half. The good news for Liepāja is that his injury is not serious, and he is expected to return in the coming games.
Liepāja who will look to end the winless streak against Riga FC might have found a player in Amadou Traore. Manager Dino Skender, during the post-match press conference after the game against RFS praised the young man making his debut. The 23-year-old winger from Guinea, who has previously made 20 league appearances in the French Ligue 1 for Bordeaux, impressed Skender, who stated, “He was good for his debut, and we hope he will be ready for more than just 30 minutes. If there’s anything positive to take away from the second half, it’s his performance.”
Last season, the two teams played against each other four times. Riga FC won three of those matches, while one match ended in a draw. FK Liepāja’s last victory over the capital city side was in May 2022 when they defeated Riga FC 1-0 thanks to an early goal by Nemanja Belakovič.
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FC RFS | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 12 |
| 2 | BFC Daugavpils | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 9 |
| 3 | FK Metta | 5 | 3 | 0 | 2 | -4 | 9 |
| 4 | Riga FC | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 8 |
| 5 | FK Liepāja | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 6 | FK Auda | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 7 | FK Tukums 2000 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 8 | FS Jelgava | 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | -2 | 5 |
| 9 | SK Super Nova | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
| 10 | FK Grobiņa | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | -6 | 4 |