---
title: "Riga FC coach Adrian Guľa: “We will fight at home, we will fight for a miracle”"
date: 2025-08-23T05:24:28Z
lang: en
author: "Dmitrijs Kravcenko"
canonical: https://balticfootballnews.com/riga-fc-coach-adrian-gula-we-will-fight-at-home-we-will-fight-for-a-miracle/
categories: ["Conference League"]
---

# Riga FC coach Adrian Guľa: “We will fight at home, we will fight for a miracle”
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Riga FC head coach **Adrian Guľa** struck a determined note after his side’s 2–0 defeat to Sparta Praha in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-off round, insisting that the tie remains alive ahead of next week’s return match in Latvia.

Guľa admitted that his team struggled in the early stages in Prague, conceding through a Jan Kuchta header after 22 minutes. _“It was a good game, a very hard game for us of course, but after the first 25 minutes we adapted a little bit, not just to the intensity but to the whole environment,”_ he said. _“We conceded an easy goal from a set piece, but then we started to keep the ball better.”_

The Slovak coach highlighted improvements after half-time, particularly in pressing and build-up play. _“In the second half we changed the pressing, we changed the build-up and we blocked them much better,”_ Guľa explained. _“But in the last third, the final pass, the last shot, it was not the killer instinct we need against this kind of opponent.”_

The decisive blow came in stoppage time, when Albion Rrahmani doubled Sparta’s advantage. Guľa admitted the late goal changed the complexion of the tie: _“One-zero is a totally different card. Two-zero against a strong opponent is harder, but everything can happen at home. We saw last game against Betar, at home we were one level better.”_

Pressed on tactical choices in the closing stages, Guľa said he opted to preserve balance rather than gamble. _“It’s not like we will wait for one-zero and be satisfied, no, we tried to wait for the moment,”_ he noted. _“But this moment came on Sparta’s side. Of course we are sad, but we will fight at home.”_

Looking ahead to Wednesday’s second leg in Riga, the coach remained upbeat about his side’s prospects. _“We are strong at home and we will give maximum for a miracle. It’s a very strong opponent, a big brand, but I hope in our stadium, with our fans, everything can happen.”_

Riga must overturn a two-goal deficit to reach the Conference League group stage for the first time in club history.