Riga vs Ararat-Armenia

Riga needed a two-goal victory after losing the first leg 2-0 in Abovyan, and they began with intent. The hosts could have fallen further behind inside the first minute when Baba Musah's error let Zhirayr Shaghoyan through, but goalkeeper Krišjānis Zviedris made a sharp save to keep the tie alive (Baltic Football News).

Iago Siqueira Augusto opened the scoring in the 14th minute, finishing calmly after a defensive mistake from the Armenian side, with Muhammed Badamosi providing the assist. The second arrived in the 23rd minute when Ahmed Ankrah collected the ball on the edge of the box and drilled a powerful strike into the net, levelling the aggregate score at 2-2.

Just before half-time, Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand went down under pressure in the penalty area but was shown a yellow card for simulation by referee Bence Csonka.

The second half began catastrophically for Riga. Zviedris miscontrolled a back-pass and presented the ball to Shaghoyan, who scored into an unguarded net just 46 seconds after the restart (BBC Sport). The goal restored Ararat-Armenia's aggregate lead at 3-2.

Sandro Lima struck the decisive blow in the 63rd minute. The Brazilian forward collected a pass from Zidane Banjaqui and unleashed a superb long-range strike that left Zviedris with no chance, making it 2-2 on the night and 4-2 on aggregate.

Five yellow cards were shown in a six-minute spell after Lima's goal as the game became increasingly fractious. Riga thought they had pulled one back five minutes from time, but the referee had already blown his whistle for a foul before the ball crossed the line, ruling out the goal despite prolonged protests (Baltic Football News).

Deep into stoppage time, a VAR review awarded Riga a penalty. Reginaldo Ramires — who had been booked earlier for a foul — stepped up and converted confidently in the 90+4th minute. But despite a frantic finale, Riga could not find the goal that would have forced extra time.

Sandro Lima (Ararat-Armenia) — The Brazilian striker's 63rd-minute screamer was the pivotal moment of the tie. It was his first goal for the club after joining only 15 days ago, and it killed Riga's momentum just when they were pushing for an equaliser. His movement and hold-up play also gave Ararat-Armenia a crucial outlet on the counter.

Zhirayr Shaghoyan (Ararat-Armenia) — Scored the vital equaliser on the night just 46 seconds into the second half, capitalising on Zviedris's error. He was a constant threat down the left flank before being substituted in the 71st minute.

Ahmed Ankrah (Riga) — The Ghanaian midfielder's powerful strike from the edge of the box was Riga's best goal of the night. He was energetic in midfield and covered significant ground, though he was booked in the second half.

Reginaldo Ramires (Riga) — Introduced in the 69th minute, the Brazilian midfielder scored the late penalty and nearly created a second with his energy in the closing stages. However, he was also booked for a foul.

Player of the Match: Sandro Lima (Ararat-Armenia)

Riga dominated the shot count 16-6 (7-3 on target) and held 53% possession, reflecting their first-half superiority and late push after the penalty. However, the 4,801 fans at Skonto Stadium saw Ararat-Armenia's two second-half goals come from just three shots on target — a clinical conversion rate that decided the tie. Riga's eight yellow cards (four for each side) underlined the tense, physical nature of the contest, particularly after Lima's 63rd-minute strike (provider payload; BBC Sport).

Ararat-Armenia advance to the Champions League second qualifying round, where they will face Irish champions Shamrock Rovers, who eliminated Floriana 5-3 on aggregate (Sportaran). Even if eliminated at the next stage, the Armenian champions are guaranteed a place in UEFA Europa League qualifying.

Riga drop into the UEFA Conference League second qualifying round, where they will face North Macedonian side Vardar Skopje (Baltic Football News). The Latvian champions, who are in the middle of their domestic season, will rue the defensive errors that undid their first-half dominance.

Manuel Tulipa, the Ararat-Armenia head coach, said at his post-match press conference: "I am confident that our team deserve to reach the league phase of a European competition. We will try to earn as many coefficient points as possible for Armenia." He added that the introduction of captain Armen Hambardzumyan was "particularly important" in changing the game after half-time (Sportaran).

Riga showed they could compete at this level for 45 minutes, but individual errors — Zviedris's howler immediately after the break and the disallowed goal controversy — proved decisive. Ararat-Armenia, despite being second-best for long periods, demonstrated the resilience and clinical finishing that define Champions League survivors. The tie swung on two moments: Shaghoyan's 46th-minute gift and Lima's 63rd-minute thunderbolt.