In the return match, RFS lost 1:2 (1:0) away to the Cypriot club Nicosia APOEL in regular time, the result of the two matches becoming a draw 3:3. No goals were scored in extra time and in the series of 11-meter post-match kicks, the people of Riga were superior with 4:2.
Already after 21 minutes of playing, RFS had to make the first change, when Izmaels Diomande could not continue the match due to injury, and Rostan Ndziki went on the field in his place. Another three minutes later, RFS player Adams Markhievs earned a yellow card.
On the other hand, in the 40th minute, after a corner kick played by Robert Savalnieks, Jānis Ikaunieks headed the ball into the opponent’s goal, putting the people of Riga in the lead.
A few minutes after the conceded goal, the home team had a good chance to equalize, but the cross shot was too high and flew over the goal.
At the start of the second half, Ikaunieks was shown a yellow card, and shortly after, Herdi Preng, Lasha Odisharia and Cedric Cuadio were also cautioned.
In the 75th minute of the match, Mateo Susic scored a tie in the RFS goal after a pass from Diumersi Ndongala, but at the end of the compensation time, Anastasii Donis scored the victory for the Nicosia team, and the result became a draw in the sum of two games.
Overtime goals were not scored, so the team that won the duel was determined in a shootout.
In the first series of shots, RFS started with a successful shot by Ikauniekas, but the hosts also beat RFS goalkeeper Fabrica Ondoa. In the second round, APOEL’s keeper was beaten by Žiga Lipusček and the hosts hit the crossbar to give RFS the lead.
In the third round, Prenga was accurate in the ranks of RFS, to which the Nicosia team responded with an accurate shot. Stefan Panic beat the home keeper in the fourth round and Ondoa saved APOEL’s fourth shot as RFS cruised to victory.
The draw for the Europa League main tournament or league phase will take place on Friday.
A week ago, in the first game in Riga, RFS won 2:1. After that game, the Cypriot club fired the coaching staff with head coach David Gallego, who had been in charge of the club since March. Portuguese specialist Juze Dominguez has been appointed as the new coach.
In the middle of the two European League qualification matches, the league leader RFS played an important match in the Latvian championship, playing 0:0 with the closest follower “Riga” and maintaining a four-point lead. In addition, the RFS has one game in reserve.
RFS started the European Cup season in the Champions League, defeating the Northern Ireland champion “Larne” 7-0 in the first qualifying round in the sum of two matches, but losing 1:7 to the Norwegian gold medalist “Bodo” in the second round and entering the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, where two defeated the Andorran team “Santa Coloma” 9-0 in the total of games.
Cypriot champion APOEL started this season’s European Cup competition in the second qualifying round of the Champions League, where they beat Hinchesti “Petrocub” of Moldova 2:1 in the sum of two games, but in the third round they recognized the superiority of Slovakian club Bratislava “Slovan” 0:2.
The winners will enter the main tournament of the Europa League in the sum of two games, while the losers will continue the European Cup season in the main tournament of the Conference League.
Last year, RFS competed in the UEFA European Conference League tournament, where they reached the second round, where they defeated the Azerbaijan club Masazir “Sabah” 1:4.
Last season, APOEL reached the play-off round in the European Conference League, where they lost 1:4 to the Belgian “Gent” in the sum of two games.
This season’s UEFA Europa League final will be held on May 21, 2025 in the Spanish city of Bilbao.
In the final of the previous season in Dublin, the players of “Atalanta” Bergamo beat “Bayer” Leverkusen with 3:0.
2024-09-01 02:37:29