Baltic Power Rankings after GW6-7: Auda is closing in on Paide as Riteriai storm past Vaprus

As Game weeks 6 and 7 across the Baltics were scheduled in such a way that there was almost no break in between matches in Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia, we calculated them under a single rankings update for the benefit of clarity.

Between the Tallinn derby (where Levadia lost points for the first time this season!) and the Kaunas regional derby during GW7 and the small Riga derby during GW6, much has happened in A Lyga, Premium liiga and Virslīga. Perhaps the most notable clubs during this period were the ones from Lithuania, especially Riteriai and Šiauliai, who clashed between themselves in GW7 to a 2-2 draw with Riteriai staging another heroic comeback to snatch a draw out of the jaws of defeat. A week before, Riteriai demonstrated a convincing win over Banga and Šiauliai defeated the reigning Champions Žalgiris 2-0, for whom this was the first loss of the season.

On the back of these results, Riteriai have shot up the Power Rankings all the way up to 24th, displacing Estonian Pärnu Vaprus, who are now just behind. As Riteriai started the season ranked 29th, this is quite an improvement! Indeed, despite all the off-the-pitch troubles and controversy surrounding the club, ‘The Knights’ have been playing great football under their new coach Nicolas Vitorović.

Šiauliai, having dipped to 22nd around the international break, are also showing teeth and have climbed up to 18th, just ahead of Džiugas and behind free-falling Grobiņa, who dropped another place.

At the top of the rankings, the Top 6 remains unaltered, but there has been much movement just below. Liepāja lost 2 places, dropping down to 9th, getting replaced by Auda and Kauno Žalgiris. Auda are now only 8 coefficient points behind Paide, and we can expect the Latvian club to overtake already during GW8, as Paide have to face awakening Flora while Auda are up against struggling Tukums.

Elsewhere, Super Nova and Nõmme Kalju are now equally matched, both with 597 coefficient points to their name, as are Dainava Alytus and Tallinna Kalev, both with 514. Harju and Kuressaare are still at the bottom of the rankings with only 1 coefficient points between them.