It was a bittersweet debut for Latvian national team goalkeeper Rihards Matrevics, who made his first appearance in the Czech First League today but couldn’t prevent FK Dukla Prague from falling 0–2 away to MFK Karviná in their opening match of the 2025/26 season.
The 26-year-old Matrevics, who joined Dukla this summer for a modest transfer fee after spending half a season with FK Auda in Latvia, was named the starting goalkeeper and immediately faced a busy afternoon between the posts.
He was called into action early, making a key save to deny the hosts a quick opener. However, in the 26th minute, Gambian striker Ebrima Singhateh broke free behind the defense and found himself one-on-one with Matrevics. With a clever chip, he beat the Latvian keeper to put Karviná in front. The goal was reviewed extensively by VAR for a possible offside, but after four minutes, it was confirmed and stood at 1–0.
Karviná kept up the pressure, forcing Matrevics into more saves before eventually doubling their lead in the second half. A swift counterattack saw Denny Samko take the initial shot, which Matrevics managed to parry. Unfortunately for the visitors, the rebound fell perfectly for Samuel Šigut, who slotted home into the bottom-left corner for a 2–0 advantage.
Dukla Prague had their first real scoring opportunity only in the closing stages of the match, but they were unable to convert, and the team walked away empty-handed.
Matrevics Prague side will look to bounce back next Saturday when they travel to face Sigma Olomouc in the second round of league action.
