Riga secured their place in the cup final with a 3:2 victory over Rigas in the semi-finals on Wednesday evening. The visitors took the lead inside a minute before Rigas responded, but a second-half surge ultimately decided the tie. Reginaldo Ramires struck twice for Riga, while S. Oulad M'Hand added a late winner.
The opening exchanges were frantic. H. Prenga gave Rigas the advantage at the third minute, but Reginaldo Ramires equalised almost immediately in the fourth. Both sides made changes at half-time, with Rigas handing K. Wassom a debut for Prenga, while Riga reshuffled their attack. Ramires notched his second just two minutes after the restart, putting the visitors ahead.
Rigas fought back through A. Filipovic at 65 minutes, but Riga's response was swift. S. Oulad M'Hand found the net in the 76th minute to restore the lead. The hosts pushed for an equaliser but could not find the back of the net. Yellow cards for Iago Siqueira, B. Musah and M. Kigurs marked a tense finish.
Riga made five substitutions in quick succession around the hour mark, bringing on M. Diop, G. Mankenda and others. Rigas also changed personnel, with M. Saidy, R. Aouani and A. Salazar all entering the fray. The decision to keep momentum over freshness seemed to pay off for the visitors.
Rigas arrived in good form, having beaten Ogre United 3:0 on their last outing. Riga were less convincing recently, losing 2:3 to Liepaya but bouncing back with a win over Klaksvik. The result means Riga will now contest the cup final, while Rigas' campaign comes to an end.