RFS Dominate Icelandic 'Vestri' 4-1 in UEFA Conference League Qualifier

RFS, a Latvian football club, played the first match of the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round against Icelandic side 'Vestri' on Thursday, July 18, at home in Riga. The hosts won convincingly 4-1, securing a three-goal lead before the return leg. By halftime, RFS had already scored three goals. In the 17th minute, Stefan Panić won the ball in the opponent's penalty area and slotted it into the net. About five minutes later, Jānis Ikaunieks doubled the lead, and just before the break, in the 43rd minute, Rostand Ndjiki made it 3-0 from close range. In the second half, 'Vestri' pulled one back in the 64th minute after a scramble in the RFS box, with Þórður Haflþórsson scoring. However, RFS quickly restored the three-goal cushion: Darko Lemajić headed in from Ikaunieks' cross. The return leg is scheduled for July 30 in Reykjavik. In the first round, RFS beat Northern Ireland's 'Glentoran' 4-1 on aggregate, while 'Vestri' lost 0-6 to Azerbaijan's 'Qarabag'. RFS currently lead the Latvian top division, while 'Vestri' are sixth in the Icelandic second tier (12 teams) and are the first Icelandic club to represent the country in UEFA club competitions without playing in the top flight. The aggregate winner will face either Czech club 'Jablonec' or Croatian side 'Varaždin'. Other Latvian clubs also played: 'Riga' beat Skopje's 'Vardar' 3-2 on Wednesday, while 'Liepāja' lost 0-2 to Vienna's 'Austria' on Thursday.