Riga W vs Wrexham W

Wrexham started brightly in their first European final. Jones, who had also scored in the 4-2 semi-final win over FC Pyunik three days earlier, reacted quickest when a Riga clearance fell to her on the edge of the area and volleyed past Aleksandra Torgošova in the ninth minute.

Riga threatened sporadically before the break — Nikola Preijere fired just wide and Kumba Brima tested Liz Craven — but Wrexham went closest to a second, with Faye Knox and Natasha Thomas unable to convert.

The match turned decisively after the restart. Japanese midfielder Minami Oi rose to head home Shiori Kato's cross in the 50th minute, beating Maria Francis-Jones to the ball. Four minutes later, Kumba Brima punished a defensive lapse from Sarah Harvey, rolling through the onrushing legs of Craven to put Riga ahead.

Teenage substitute Laura Kallase made it 3-1 in the 64th minute, turning in Wakana Mitani's low cross from close range. Kato completed the scoring with a scuffed finish in the 79th minute after Wrexham failed to clear a corner.

Oi's 50th-minute equaliser changed the entire complexion of the contest. Wrexham had controlled the first half with a disciplined 4-4-2 shape that neutralised Riga's wide threats, but the goal — and the quickfire Brima strike that followed — forced the hosts to chase the game. Riga exploited the stretched spaces in transition, and Wrexham's legs, playing their second high-intensity match in three days, visibly tired after the hour mark.

Manager Jenny Sugarman acknowledged the shift post-match: "I thought for the first 45 we were excellent. We nullified some of their threats. But what you've seen at the end of that is a better side with some top quality individual players."

Kumba Brima (Riga) — The Sierra Leone forward was the game's defining player. She scored Riga's crucial second, created havoc with her pace and movement all night, and had a hand in the momentum swing that undid Wrexham. She was a constant threat despite strong marking from Sarah Harvey in the first half.

Minami Oi (Riga) — The Japanese midfielder's equalising header was the turning point. She grew in influence as the match wore on, dictating play from midfield.

Lili Jones (Wrexham) — Scored Wrexham's goal with a superb volley and worked tirelessly. She finishes her first European campaign with two goals in two matches.

Sarah Harvey (Wrexham) — Won her individual battle with Brima for much of the first half but was caught out for the second goal, a reminder of the slim margins at this level.

Player of the match: Kumba Brima (Riga W)

Riga's 4-1 scoreline flattens a game that was evenly contested for 50 minutes. Wrexham's first-half shape — a compact 4-4-2 with double banks of four — restricted Riga to speculative efforts from distance. The decisive shift came after the break: Riga's Japanese contingent (Oi, Kato, Mitani, Takahira) combined to exploit the wide areas that Wrexham had defended stoutly in the first half. Riga's 47-match unbeaten domestic run (they won all 24 league games in 2025) reflects a squad conditioned to dominate, and that quality told as Wrexham's energy levels dropped.

Wrexham's debut European campaign ends in the first qualifying round final, but not without milestones. Their 4-2 win over FC Pyunik in the semi-final was the first European victory by a Welsh side since 2019 and the first time a Welsh club scored in the competition since 2021. The result also lifted Wales's coefficient ranking by several places.

Riga progress to the second qualifying round, where they will face Danish opposition. Wrexham now turn their attention to the defence of their Adran Premier title, with the new season beginning on 6 September 2026.

Manager Sugarman's message to her squad was clear: "We'll be back."

Riga's second-half quality was decisive, but Wrexham proved they belong at this level. The first 50 minutes demonstrated genuine tactical organisation and individual quality. The challenge now is sustaining that standard across a full 90 minutes — and across a full season — to ensure this European adventure becomes a regular fixture rather than a one-off.

Riga W: Torgošova; Šteinberga (Kallase 32), Takahira, Čamane, Gaugere; Rahimova, Taketa, Oi, Kato; Preijere (Šenberga 90+3), Brima

Wrexham W: Craven; Saloway (Davies 72), Bartle, Harvey, Francis-Jones; Reedford, L. Jones (Cook 86), Suckley (Sadler 86), Knox; Thomas (Smith 71), Barker

Attendance: 1,192