"Riga" Begin Champions League Qualifiers with 0-2 Loss in Armenia

Latvian football champions "Riga" started their UEFA Champions League qualification campaign with a 0-2 loss to Armenian champions "Ararat-Armenia" in the first leg of the first qualifying round on Tuesday, July 7, 2026.

The first half ended goalless, but the hosts broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute. Following a corner kick from the right, "Riga" goalkeeper Frenks Orols saved the initial shot, but Ugur Oliveira fired the ball into the net from the edge of the penalty area after a pass from Karen Muradyan. The ball hit the ground and flew past all players into the middle of the goal – 1-0.

In the 72nd minute, "Riga" were reduced to ten men when Orols rushed out of his goal and handled the ball outside the penalty area to prevent a goal-bound shot, receiving a red card. He was replaced by Krišjānis Zviedris.

Eight minutes before the end, "Ararat-Armenia" doubled their lead. After a pass from Edgar Grigoryan, Franka Karloss beat Zviedris to make it 2-0.

The return leg will take place in Riga next week. The winner over two legs will advance to the next round, where they will face either Malta's "Floriana" or Ireland's "Shamrock Rovers" from Tallaght. The loser will continue their European campaign in the UEFA Conference League champions path, starting from the second qualifying round.

"Ararat-Armenia" won the Armenian championship last season for the first time since 2020, but lost the Armenian Super Cup final this spring. In the previous European season, they played in the Conference League, beating "Universitatea Cluj" from Cluj-Napoca 2-1 on aggregate in the second round before losing 1-6 to "Sparta" Prague in the third round.

Currently, "Ararat-Armenia" lead the Armenian league, while "Riga" are second in the Latvian Virsliga. To reach the UEFA Champions League group stage, teams must navigate three qualifying rounds and a playoff round.