Latvian champions RFS once again proved their European credentials, defeating Estonia’s champions Levadia, 1:0 for the second time in a row to advance to the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. This marks the second straight summer RFS have reached this stage, securing three potential routes to a place in one of UEFA’s club competition group stages. After the match, head coach Viktors Morozs shared his thoughts on the win and the challenges they overcame.
“First of all, thank you to our fans — the atmosphere today was fantastic, and we truly enjoyed it,” said Morozs.
“As for the game, it was tough. We made some changes compared to the first leg because we had a better understanding of what to expect from the opponent. In certain situations, we adapted well, although not everything worked perfectly. Overall, it was a very even match, but what matters most is that we won.”
The game was marred by an unfortunate injury to RFS center-back Herdi Prenga, who was stretchered off after a aerial collision, clutching his shoulder. The Albanian was taken to the hospital, and Morozs said post-match that he had no further information at that time, as he hadn’t yet spoken to the medical team.
Tactically, RFS reverted to a three-center-back formation — a setup that proved effective during their successful UEFA Europa League run last season. This season, however, it had only been used twice before, both against Riga FC — once in the Latvian Supercup and again in an April 26 league fixture at LNK Sports Park.
Asked whether this tactical adjustment had been part of the original game plan for the first leg, Morozs admitted it wasn’t.
“We didn’t consider this option before the first game. Some things didn’t work out as we wanted in that match. Not every player is suited to pressing aggressively, and that influenced our decision. We wanted to make things a bit easier for some of the players in terms of positioning and decision-making.”
One of the standout performers on the night was Croatian goalkeeper Marko Marić, making his European debut for RFS. Marić made several key saves to preserve the clean sheet, earning high praise from his coach.
“He’s a very high-quality goalkeeper — whether it’s playing with his feet, positioning in goal, or coming off his line. We’re pleased with his performance; he was one of the key figures in today’s win,” said Morozs.
To close out the press conference, Morozs showed respect for the opposition, acknowledging Levadia’s strength:
“Levadia are a very good team, and I’ll be cheering for them to reach the league phase.”
