Moustapha Diaw’s solo stunner seals Liepāja derby win

In a high-stakes 21st-round Virslīga clash at the Daugava Stadium in Liepāja, FK Liepāja extended their winning streak to four matches by defeating local rivals FK Grobiņa 2:0 in the Liepāja derby. For head coach Andreas Alm, it was a satisfying moment of redemption—his debut on May 10th ended in a 0:2 loss to this very Grobiņa side.

Coming into the match, FK Liepāja were in fine form, unbeaten in six and victorious in their last three, while Grobiņa had stumbled in recent weeks, save for a shock win over FS Jelgava. The derby promised intensity, and although FK Liepāja had claimed previous meetings comfortably—including a 4:1 win earlier this season and a 3:0 triumph in last year’s fan-packed encounter—Grobiņa had consistently proven to be fierce, tenacious opponents, regardless of budgetary constraints.

Looking to shake things up, Alm brought back all four attacking players who had started the previous match on the bench—Djibril Gueye, Bruno Melnis, Moustapha Diaw, and Ede Oloko. Meanwhile, Grobiņa boss Viktors Dobrecovs, missing several key players due to suspensions, handed debuts to two summer signings: former Lithuanian international Rolandas Baravykas and Ukrainian midfielder Stanislav Morarenko.

The first half featured fairly balanced possession, but it was FK Liepāja who posed the greater attacking threat. Just 24 seconds in, Oloko missed a promising effort from distance. Three minutes later, the same forward squandered another opportunity, sending his shot wide from even better position. In the 38th minute, Gueye wasted a golden chance, heading wide with the goal at his mercy.

Grobiņa responded immediately after the break with their best chance of the match—an incisive move finished by Iranian striker Ali Kalmarzy, whose lunging strike crashed off the crossbar. It proved to be a costly miss. Moments later, at the other end, FK Liepāja struck. Following a corner, Grobiņa goalkeeper Nikita Pinčuks collided with Baravykas, leaving Gueye free to tap into an open net.

With the lead in hand, FK Liepāja continued to press, though Grobiņa carved out occasional spells of pressure. In the 72nd minute, Rodrigo Gaučis nearly tied the game with a determined strike, only to be denied by Montenegro international goalkeeper Danijel Petković. Grobiņa’s best chance to equalize came in the 78th minute when Bekili flashed a fierce header just wide following a corner routine.

Desperate to level, Grobiņa threw numbers forward in the final minutes, but were punished on the counterattack. Senegalese winger Moustapha Diaw displayed dazzling pace and ball control to weave past multiple defenders and the goalkeeper, calmly slotting home FK Liepāja’s second and sealing the victory.

Next up, FK Liepāja face a major test as they host title-contenders RFS on Friday, while FK Grobiņa look to bounce back at home against FK Metta.

FK Liepāja vs FK Grobiņa – 2:0 (0:0)
Goals: Gueye 49′, Diaw 90′
LIE: Petkovic, Isajevs, Babic, Iļjins, Sorokins, Lausic (Purtic 84′), Korobenko, Diaw (Samba 90’+2), Gueye (Leidsman 79′), Melnis (Patijčuks 79′), Oloko (Traore 54′)
GRO: Pinčuks, Družiņins, Bekili, Baravykas (Borisovs 76′), Džeriņš (Fjodorovs 76′), Kļuškins (Grjaznovs 37′), Krautmanis, Raščevskis, Morarenko (Knapšis 62′), Kalmarzy (Gaučis 62′), Dobrecovs

Virslīga Matchday 21 games:

• 30.06.2025 – BFC Daugavpils vs FC RFS – 1:7
• 30.06.2025 – FK Liepāja vs FK Grobiņa – 1:0
• 01.07.2025 – SK Super Nova vs FK Auda – 18:00
• 01.07.2025 – Riga FC vs FS Jelgava – 20:00
• 02.07.2025 – FK Metta vs FK Tukums 2000 – 19:00