It was a night of mixed emotions at Skonto Stadium as Latvia and Albania played to a thrilling 1–1 draw in their latest international clash. The result marks the sixth consecutive draw between the two nations – a statistical oddity that now feels like tradition.
The opening minutes set the tone for a frantic contest. Just one minute in, Vladislavs Gutkovskis nearly gave Latvia an early lead, but his close-range header was expertly denied by Thomas Strakosha, Albania’s ever-reliable keeper.
Latvia pressed forward and found their breakthrough – or so they thought – in the 18th minute. Gutkovskis was brought down in the box, prompting Turkish referee Halil Umut Meler to point to the spot. Jānis Ikaunieks stepped up to take the penalty but failed to convert, with Strakosha guessing correctly and making a crucial save.
Latvia’s missed opportunity was punished just eight minutes later in cruel fashion. A miscommunication led to Antonijs Černomordijs accidentally deflecting a cross into his own net, giving Albania a 1–0 lead and stunning the home crowd.
However, Černomordijs redeemed himself right before the break. Deep into stoppage time, the defender rose high to meet a cross and headed the ball low inside the left post, leveling the match at 1–1 and restoring hope for the Latvians.
Latvia opened the second half with more attacking intent. Ikaunieks tried his luck again in the 50th minute, but Strakosha continued his flawless performance in goal. Moments later, Andrejs Cigaņiks picked up a yellow card for a rough tackle, but quickly made amends with a critical defensive clearance off the goal line following back-to-back Albanian corners. In the second of those attempts, the ball was nearly over the line before Cigaņiks booted it clear.
At times, Albania looked confused and short on ideas, unsure how to crack Latvia’s organized defense. Overall, their play felt passive, lacking the urgency expected from a team chasing victory, but that changed for the rest of the game.
In the 64th minute, Latvia had a stroke of luck as Albanian captain Rey Manaj beat Černomordijs inside the box and was nearly through on goal, but couldn’t control the ball at the decisive moment.
Latvia made their first substitutions in the 75th minute, with Marko Regža and Eduards Dašķevičs replacing Gutkovskis and Ikaunieks. Albania began dominating possession, forcing Latvia deeper and deeper into their own half. Their control led to a dangerous opportunity, but Zviedris in the Latvian goal remained calm and made another important save.
In the 81st minute, Latvia made their third change, bringing on Lūkass Vapne for the final stretch. As Albania pushed for a late winner, Latvia stood firm in defense and weathered the pressure.
The match ended in yet another draw between these two sides, the sixth in as many meetings. Latvia finishes the round in fourth place with four points. Looking ahead, their next fixtures are in September when they will host Serbia and travel to Albania once more.
Latvia vs Albania – 1:1 (1:1)
Goals: Černomordijs 45+4’ | Černomordijs 24’ (OG)
LAT: Zviedris, Cigaņiks, Balodis, Černomodijs, Jurkovskis, Jaunzems, Zelenkovs, Saveljevs (Vapne 82′), Varslavāns (Toņiševs 89′), Ikaunieks (Dašķevičs 75′), Gutkovskis (Regža 75′)
ALB: Strakosha, Balliu, Ismajli, Kumbulla, Mitaj, Asllani, Shehu, Laci (Bajraim 69′), Broja (Uzuni 82′), Manaj (Daku 82′), Hoxha (Muci 60′)
World Cup 2026 qualifying Group K
| # | Team | GP | W | D | L | PTS |
| 1 | England | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| 2 | Albania | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| 3 | Serbia | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 13 |
| 4 | Latvia | 8 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 5 |
| 5 | Andorra | 8 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 1 |
