Liepāja secured a 3-2 victory over Rīga in the 28th round of the Vīrs līga on 31 August 2026. The hosts took the lead early through E. Oloko before Rīga responded just ten minutes later. By then the visitors had levelled, but Oloko struck again from the penalty spot before half-time to put Liepāja ahead. The match opened up after the break with both sides trading blows.
Oloko gave Liepāja the advantage in the fourth minute, and Rīga equalised through M. Badamosi seventeen minutes in. The hosts reclaimed the lead when Oloko converted a penalty on 27 minutes, a moment that paid for a sloppy opening from the visitors. Liepāja then went further ahead in the 58th minute through A. Ogunniyi, who had been on the bench earlier in the game.
Rīga pushed for an equaliser and their pressure came through in the final moments. A. Taiwo found space in the box and fired home on 90 minutes and four seconds, bringing the game to life once more. The hosts had to hold on grimly as substitutions continued to flood the pitch, with E. Oloko and A. Haidara both coming off near the end. The final whistle confirmed a narrow win for Liepāja.
Liepāja dominated possession in the first half but Rīga created more attacks overall. The hosts registered 80 attacks compared to 109 for the visitors, yet Liepāja were more clinical with their chances. Shots accuracy sat at 33 per cent for the winners against 44 per cent for Rīga, a reminder that not every effort finds the net. The statistics tell you the visitors had the lion's share of the ball, but the result suggests otherwise.
With the win Liepāja move up to fifth place on 27 points from 27 games, while Rīga remain second with 65 points after 26 matches. The gap between them remains substantial, though this result ended Rīga's run of unbeaten fixtures. The hosts will take confidence from the performance, even if the finish was messy. The tie stays in their own hands for now.
