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The UEFA Europa League third qualifying round brings an exciting second-leg clash between Rigas Futbola Skola (RFS) and UE Santa Coloma.
With RFS holding a 2-0 advantage from the first leg, the Latvian side looks poised to secure their place in the next round, but UE Santa Coloma will fight hard to overturn the deficit.
Match Preview
RFS, having secured their second Latvian title in 2023, entered this European campaign with high expectations. They began with a dominant 7-0 aggregate win over Larne FC in the Champions League qualifying rounds but were later defeated by Bodo/Glimt, which relegated them to the Europa League qualifiers.
The first leg of this tie saw RFS secure a vital 2-0 win in Andorra, putting them in a strong position to advance.
UE Santa Coloma, on the other hand, clinched their first league title in 2023-24, earning them a spot in European qualifiers for the first time. After a dramatic win against KF Ballkani in the Champions League qualifiers, they faced a tough challenge against FC Midtjylland, which saw them drop to the Europa League following a 4-0 aggregate loss.
Despite their efforts in the first leg, they were unable to score, leaving them with a steep challenge in the return fixture.
Team News
RFS will be without midfielder Alfusainey Jatta, who remains sidelined due to a long-term injury.
However, key players like Janis Ikaunieks, who has scored 12 goals in 20 games this season, and Ismael Diomande, who has netted 12 in 27 matches, are expected to lead the charge.
UE Santa Coloma might see the return of Pablo Perez, who was suspended for the first leg.
Changes in the lineup could also see Victor Tellado and Bilal El Bakkali start after coming off the bench in the first leg.
Prediction
Given their strong home form and the advantage from the first leg, RFS are favorites to win this match. UE Santa Coloma will need to take risks, but this could leave them vulnerable to counterattacks.
Our Prediction: Rigas Futbola Skola 2-1 UE Santa Coloma.
For…
Source link : https://www.footballcritic.com/news/rfs-vs-ue-santa-coloma-europa-league-qualifying-prediction/5541
Author : [email protected] (Jake Skudder)
Publish date : 2024-08-14 07:29:06
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