FC RFS’s UEFA Champions League campaign came to an end on Wednesday evening in Malmö, as the Latvian champions fell 0:1 to Swedish giants Malmö FF. The result sealed a 1:5 aggregate defeat, ending their Champions League hopes for this season, but not their European journey, as they now move into the UEFA Europa League third qualifying round, where Finnish side KuPS awaits.
The first leg in Rīga had been a difficult evening for Viktors Morozs’s men. A 1:4 defeat at home inside the LNK Sporta Parks left them with a mountain to climb. Coming into the return leg, RFS were not chasing miracles, but redemption. A chance to restore pride, prove their quality, and show that last week’s result had not reflected their true level.
There were some changes to the lineup. Roberts Veips was given a start in central defense in place of Elvis Stuglis, while Tayrell Wouter came into attack, replacing Darko Lemajić – the club’s top scorer and their lone goal-scorer in the first leg.
Despite the early promise and composed start from the visitors, Malmö struck first. In the 25th minute, Sead Hakšabanović pounced on a rebound in the box, firing past Marko Marić after the Croatian had already produced a superb save seconds earlier. It was a harsh blow for RFS, who had been growing into the game with confidence.
Marić, one of RFS’s summer signings, was a standout performer on the night. The experienced goalkeeper made several excellent stops to keep the scoreline respectable – most notably in the 68th minute when he denied Taha Ali with a fingertip save. His efforts between the posts gave RFS hope of getting something from the match, and crucially, of picking up valuable UEFA coefficient points for Latvian football.
But the game’s defining moment – and potentially a turning point in RFS’s European campaign – came in the 65th minute. After being pulled back in midfield by Malmö’s Taha Ali, Jānis Ikaunieks lashed out with an elbow to the stomach. Initially shown a yellow card, the incident was reviewed by VAR and upgraded to a straight red. It was a moment of lost composure, and one that left RFS with ten men and without their midfield leader for the remainder of the match – and likely the both games against KuPS.
Down a man and facing elimination, RFS showed resilience. Viktors Morozs made several tactical adjustments in the second half to push for an equalizer. Petr Mareš entered at halftime to add some whip in crosses, and later came a wave of substitutions: Darko Lemajić, Jeremie Porsan-Clemente, Strahinja Rakić, and Barthelemy Diedhiou all injected fresh energy into the side.
Even with ten men, RFS created chances. Mor Talla Gaye’s strike = tipped onto the crossbar – was the closest they came, while Lemajić saw a goal-bound shot deflected by a Malmö defender. Corners from Mareš and Savalnieks caused concern in the Malmö box, but the Swedish champions held firm. A late yellow card for Haruna Njie summed up the frustration as the clock ticked down.
Dutch referee Joey Kooij ended the contest in the 96th minute, bringing down the curtain on a game that, despite the defeat, showed a different side of RFS – gritty, organized, and determined.
For the second consecutive year, RFS exit the Champions League in the second qualifying round – last year it was Bodø/Glimt, this time Malmö. Yet this campaign isn’t over. Next up is KuPS, themselves dropping from Champions League qualifying after a wild tie against Kazakhstan’s Kairat.
Malmö FF vs FC RFS – 1:0 (1:0)
Goals: Haksabanovic 25′
MAL: Olsen, Busanello (Skogmar 75′), Djuric, Janssons, Rosler, Bolin (Ekong 69′), Berg (Busuladzic 83′), Rosengren (Johnsen 46′), Stryger – Ali (Sigurdsson 69′), Haksabanovič
RFS: Marič, Talla (Porsann-Clemante 87′), Lipušček, Veips, Njie, Savaļnieks (Diedhiou 74′), Zelenkovs, Panič (Rakic 74′), J.Ikaunieks, D. Ikaunieks (Mareš 46′), Wouter (Lemajič 61′)
