“Riga” Halts RFS Winning Streak, Narrows Gap in Latvian League
RFS suffered their first loss in the second round, falling 2-1 to “Riga”, cutting their lead to just one point at the top of the Virsliga table.
In the 18th round of the Tonybet Latvian Higher League, “Riga” defeated RFS 2-1 (2-0) at home on Wednesday, ending RFS’s six-match winning streak and reducing their advantage to a single point.
The hosts opened the scoring in the 17th minute when Raki Auani capitalized on a mistake by Herdi Prenga, dribbled past goalkeeper Jevgenijs Nerugals, and slotted home. Orlando Galo doubled the lead in the 38th minute with a header from a Zinedine M’Handa corner kick. A potential third goal just before halftime was disallowed for offside.
RFS pulled one back in the 65th minute through Mor Tallā, who fired a shot from the edge of the penalty area after a pass from Aleksandar Filipovičs. Despite late pressure, RFS could not equalize, and “Riga” held on for the win. In the dying minutes, Galo had a close-range effort saved by Nerugals.
This was RFS’s first defeat in the second round; they had won all seven previous matches. “Riga” now boasts eight wins and one draw in the second round. The first-round encounter between the two sides ended in a 3-3 draw.
Elsewhere in the round, “Ogre United” secured their historic first league win by beating “Jelgava” 2-0 away; “Tukums 2000” edged “Auda” 2-1 at home; “Grobiņa” defeated “Liepāja” 1-0; and “Daugavpils” played out a goalless draw with “Super Nova”.
After 18 matches, RFS leads with 46 points, followed by “Riga” with 45, “Auda” with 35, “Liepāja” with 25, “Daugavpils” with 21, “Super Nova” with 20, “Tukums 2000” with 17, “Grobiņa” and “Jelgava” with 16 each, and “Ogre United” with 7. The championship consists of four rounds (36 matchdays) and is scheduled to conclude on November 8. “Riga” are the defending champions from last season.
