Riga Women's Team Falls to Danish Koge in Champions League Qualifying Second Round

The women's football club "Riga" experienced a setback in their UEFA Women's Champions League campaign on Wednesday, losing 1:4 to Danish side "Koge" in Køge. The Latvian team took an early lead in the fifth minute through Renāte Gaugere, but the hosts equalized before halftime, with Maisie Shulca finding the net. After the break, Koge took control, moving ahead after 25 minutes of the second half and extending their lead nine minutes later through Nadia Nadima and Sara Thigesen. In stoppage time, Riga defender Natsumi Taketa turned the ball into her own goal.

The qualifying second round features mini-tournaments with semifinals and placement matches, with only seven first-place finishers advancing to the third round. On Saturday, Riga will contest third place against Lithuanian champions Šiauliai "Gintra", who lost 1:2 to Scotland's "Heart of Midlothian" earlier in the tournament.

In the first qualifying round, Riga, the Latvian champions, defeated Belfast's "Glentoran" and Wales's "Wrexham". In the domestic league, Riga currently sits second, three points behind RFS but with three games in hand.

Koge, who did not participate in the first qualifying round, are the defending Danish champions. They have opened the season with two convincing victories and lead their league.

The third round will see teams paired in home-and-away ties, with winners advancing to the group stage, followed by knockout play-offs. This season also marks the second edition of the UEFA Women's Europa Cup, a second-tier club competition, in which participants who have reached at least the second qualifying round of the Champions League may earn a spot, depending on results.

Last year, Riga won their first qualifying round semifinal 4:1 against Estonia's "Flora" from Tallinn, but lost the final 1:2 to Luxembourg's "Racing Union".