In the opening match of Matchday 6 of the TonyBet Virslīga, Riga FC surprisingly lost points once again, as they were unable to hold on to their lead against FK Metta, allowing a late goal that ended the game in a 1:1 tie.
Riga FC manager Adrian Gula made two changes to the starting lineup following a 5:2 victory against FK Liepāja, opting to start Nils Toms Puriņš in goal and Jackson Kenio for the first time this season. In contrast, Andris Riherts made several adjustments to his lineup after the significant win against FC RFS. Goalkeeper Kristers Gabriels Bite made his first start of the season, and Alans Kangars, Lauan, Kevins Cēsnieks, Kristofers Rēķis, and Sadiq Saleh returned to the starting eleven.
As expected, Riga dominated the start of the game. However, despite making 15 shot attempts with four on target in the first half, they struggled to convert their chances.
Before the second half began, Riga FC made one substitution, bringing on Anthony Contreras to replace fellow Costa Rican Orlando Galo. This substitution proved fruitful, as 15 minutes later, Contreras scored his first goal of the season with a close-range effort, providing Riga FC with a one-goal lead.
Riga appeared to be in control of the match and seemed likely to score additional goals. Unfortunately, they lacked finishing, while Metta were looking to capitalize on counter-attacks. The first warning sign for Gula and the Riga defense came when Kristaps Grabovskis had a strong shot from just outside the box that went a little wide.
In the 87th minute, however, their luck ran out when Alans Kangars scored his first-ever Virslīga goal. The defender, on loan from FK Liepāja, had his initial header blocked but managed to get the rebound and beat Nils Toms Puriņš with a shot, leveling the score at 1:1.
As the game drew to a close, Riga was eager to net a second goal that would secure the victory, but they were unable to generate any further opportunities. The match ended in a 1:1 tie, leaving Riga under Adrian Gula with only two wins from their first six matches of the season. Meanwhile, FK Metta climbed to second place in the league table following this draw.
Riga FC vs FK Metta – 1:1 (0:0)
Goals: Contreras 61′ | Kangars 87′
Yellow Card: Galo 9′, Ngom 90′ | Grabovskis 78′, Kangars 81′
RIG: Puriņš – Jurkovskis, Ngom, Eduardo (Černomordijs 75′), Erquiaga – Ankrah – Diop, Kenio (Grimaldo 67′), Galo (Contreras 46′), Pena (Ibrahim 82′) – Regža (Taiwo 67′)
MET: Bite – Scremin (Ivulāns 67′), Vilnis, Kangars, Minkevics, Lauan (Molotkovs 54′) – Grabovskis, Kamara, Cēsnieks (Bērziņš 76′), Rēķis (Kļavinskis 67′) – Saleh (Evelons 46′)
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | FC RFS | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 15 |
| 2 | FK Auda | 7 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 13 |
| 3 | Riga FC | 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 7 | 12 |
| 4 | FK Liepāja | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | -1 | 10 |
| 5 | FK Metta | 7 | 3 | 1 | 3 | -5 | 10 |
| 6 | BFC Daugavpils | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 9 |
| 7 | FS Jelgava | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 8 |
| 8 | SK Super Nova | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 5 |
| 9 | FK Grobiņa | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | -6 | 5 |
| 10 | FK Tukums 2000 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 4 | -7 | 5 |