Rīgas FS arrive on a three-match winning streak and their home form in this competition has been commanding, scoring six goals across two ties. FK Jablonec's only away fixture so far ended in a 3-2 defeat, raising questions about their defensive shape on the road. The midfield…
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Sign inRīgas FS welcome Czech side FK Jablonec to their LNK Sporta Parks home in Rīga on 13 August 2026 for the second leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League third qualifying round, carrying a 0-2 deficit from the first meeting. The Latvian champions must overturn a two-goal margin to keep their European campaign alive, while Jablonec arrive knowing a clean sheet or a score draw will book their place in the play-off round.
The tie swung sharply in Jablonec’s favour during the opening 18 minutes of the first leg in the Czech Republic. Georgian midfielder Giorgi Chanturishvili rose above Aleksandr Filipovic to head home a Filip Zorvan cross, giving the home side an early breakthrough. A second goal after the interval sealed a 2-0 win and left RFS with everything to do.
Crucially, the Conference League no longer uses the away-goals rule, so RFS must simply win by two clear goals to force extra time, or by three or more to advance inside 90 minutes. Any victory that sees Jablonec score would leave RFS needing an even bigger margin, putting extra pressure on the home defence to keep a clean sheet.
RFS were forced into a late shake-up before kick-off in the first leg when first-choice goalkeeper Jevgeņijs Nerugals suffered an injury during the warm-up. Rihards Matrevics stepped in for his first competitive appearance since a Virslīga outing against Jelgava on 20 July and will almost certainly retain the gloves for this return fixture.
Nerugals is the main doubt for the hosts; the warm-up injury meant he did not feature at all in the first leg, and no update has been offered on his availability. Matrevics is therefore expected to start again, with the 25-year-old keeper facing the biggest test of his season so far.
Beyond the goalkeeping question, RFS have no further reported injuries from the first leg. The Latvian side will rely on their usual core, with defender Žiga Lipušček – who headed RFS’s best chance of the first leg over the bar – likely to be a target on set pieces. Jablonec have named no fresh injury concerns in the build-up and are expected to travel with a full squad, with Chanturishvili and Zorvan both in line to start once more.
RFS must score at least twice, and doing so will require breaking down a Jablonec backline that restricted them to few clear openings in the first meeting. The Latvian champions controlled more of the ball in the second half of that match but could not turn possession into high-quality chances. An early goal for RFS would electrify the small 3,000-capacity ground and force Jablonec onto the back foot; failing to score before the interval would allow the visitors to manage the tie comfortably.
Jablonec’s own recent form suggests they are difficult to breach: across their previous five matches, they conceded only four times while netting nine goals themselves, picking up four victories. RFS will need to find a clinical edge that was missing in the first leg.
The winners of this tie advance to the UEFA Europa Conference League play-off round, the final hurdle before the group stage. For RFS, progression would keep alive the dream of a second consecutive group-phase appearance; for Jablonec, a first appearance since the 2021/22 season is within touching distance. Whichever side prevails will face a play-off opponent drawn later in the month, with the group stage beginning in September.
Rīgas FS
Coach: Viktors Morozs
FK Jablonec
Coach: Lubos Kozel
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