Riga FC Women make history by reaching UEFA Women's Champions League second qualifying round
Latvian champions Riga FC Women defeated Welsh side Wrexham 4-1 on Saturday in Wrexham to become the first Latvian team to advance past the first qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Champions League.
Riga FC Women have achieved a historic milestone for Latvian women's football. On Saturday, in Wrexham, Great Britain, the Latvian champions defeated Welsh club Wrexham 4-1 (0-1 at halftime) in the decisive match of the first qualifying round of the UEFA Women's Champions League, securing their spot in the second round. This marks the first time a Latvian women's team has progressed beyond the first qualifying stage.
The match saw Wrexham take an early lead in the 8th minute through Lily Jones. The score remained 1-0 until the 50th minute when Minami Oi equalized for Riga. Just four minutes later, Kumba Brima put Riga ahead. In the second half, Laura Kallase and Shiori Kato added further goals, sealing a 4-1 victory. Riga recorded nine shots on target while Wrexham managed two.
In the second qualifying round, which will be hosted by Danish side Køge, Riga will face the hosts in the semifinal. The other semifinal pair is Lithuania's Gintra against Scotland's Heart of Midlothian. The semifinals are scheduled for August 5, with the placement matches on August 8.
In the first qualifying round, Riga had previously beaten Northern Irish champions Glentoran 4-1, while Wrexham defeated Pyunik of Armenia 4-2. The second round follows the same format with semifinals and finals. In the third round, teams will play home-and-away ties, followed by a group stage and knockout matches.
Last season, Riga won their first qualifying semifinal 4-1 against Estonia's Flora but lost the final 1-2 to Luxembourg's Racing Union. This year, the team has gone one step further, making history for Latvian women's football.
