Derry City Vs Riga FC
Thursday, 7 July 2022 – 19:45 (BST)
UEFA Europa Conference League Qualification
Pick: Both Teams to Score NO
Odds: 11/10
Bookmaker: Betfair
(All betting odds displayed correct at time of writing: 5 July 2022)
Preview: Qualifying for the second season of UEFA’s Europa Conference League gets underway in Derry, Northern Ireland, for Derry City and Riga FC. The clubs, somewhat unsurprisingly, are meeting for the very first time – though Derry City did prevail in their only previous home encounter with Latvian opponents.
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Table of Contents
Derry City – Sell-out home crowd out to inspire Irish underdogs?
Not since 2014 has the club from Northern Ireland, who ply their trade in the Republic of Ireland’s League of Ireland Premier Division, registered a win at home in European competition. Across seven subsequent matches, against opposition from Belarus (Shakhtyor Soligorsk, Dinamo Minsk), Denmark (Midtyjlland) and Lithuania (Riteriai), they have turned out seven times, home and away, losing six of seven.
Ruaidhri Higgins’ men, therefore, have it all to do in this first leg even with a warm following behind them at their Brandywell Stadium. The fact the domestic season in Ireland is still ongoing will be a positive, though. As are recent results. Back-to-back wins, away to UC Dublin and Bohemians, seeing them consign a seven-game barren run (D4 L3), in which they scored as well as conceded on five occasions, to the past.
Key Stat: Derry City haven’t won a home game since April, drawing four of the last five (L1) at Brandywell Stadium since a thumping 7-1 victory over UC Dublin.
Riga FC – Latvians know what it takes to win away in Europe?
Last season’s fourth place finish in Latvia’s Virsliga was sufficient enough for Riga FC, national champions in 2018, 2019 and 2020, to return to Europe. Not ideal for a club which had become accustomed to the earlier rounds of the Champions League, where they are still to record a win in five attempts. They did pick up three, however, in 2021-22’s qualifying rounds for the inaugural Europa Conference League.
Riga FC overcame Macedonian and Maltese opponents, defeating both on the road by a slender scoreline of 1-0. However, they found one too good approaching the final hurdle, losing in the final play-off round in extra-time to Gibraltar’s Lincoln Red Imps. Nevertheless, that experience – and especially those away wins – should instil in them the belief that they can produce a similar run in the summer of 2022.
Key Stat: Riga FC sit third in the ongoing Latvian Virsliga, nine points from the top. Their form is far from ideal, though, failing to win their last two fixtures (D1 L1) having previously been on a run of seven consecutive victories.
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Derry City Vs Riga FC Betting Advice
There is expected to be a sell out crowd in Derry for the visit of Riga FC. Whether this can translate into a rare European victory for the League of Ireland outfit remains to be seen. Recently, however, there hasn’t been much to suggest a win is forthcoming from the hosts. Derry City were recently winless in seven league games. Moreover, they last won a home fixture in April, drawing four of five since at Brandywell Stadium.
Derry City Vs Riga FC – Key Facts:
- Since the 2017-18 season, Derry City have played five matches in Europe – all in the qualifying rounds – and won only once (W1 L4). That being their 2-1 win in Belarus over Dinamo Minsk in a 2018 Europa League qualifier.
- Riga FC went unbeaten on their travels in Europe last term (again, all in the qualifying rounds), with wins in Macedonia (vs. Shkendija) and Malta (vs. Hibernians) preceding a scoring draw in Gibraltar (vs. Lincoln Red Imps).
- Derry City would recently return to winning form when winning successive away League of Ireland fixtures. However, they were winless in seven beforehand and now face a Riga FC side with one loss in its past nine league matches (W7 D1 L1).
With opponents Riga FC having also gone off the boil of late, failing to win their last two fixtures in the Latvian top tier, I can see this being a closely fought first leg encounter. Caution could prevail. Derry do have a habit of scoring and conceding, in particular at home, doing so in 73% of home league games in 2022. BTTS has landed only twice in Riga FC’s last 11 league encounters though. Nerves may play a part also.
Best Betting Odds – Derry City Vs Riga FC
Derry City – 9/5
Draw – 23/10
Riga FC – 13/10
(All odds collected from Betfair)
