Ararat-Armenia vs Riga

Ararat-Armenia broke the deadlock on 63 minutes. Midfielder Hugo Oliveira collected a pass from captain Karen Muradyan and fired a left-footed shot past Orols to make it 1-0. The goal forced Riga to push forward, and they were punished further.

Five minutes after the restart, Riga's Oulad was booked for a bad foul. Then came the decisive moment: on 72 minutes, Orols was shown a straight red card by Ukrainian referee Klym Zabroda, reducing the Latvian champions to ten men with 18 minutes remaining.

Ararat-Armenia manager Tulipa sensed the opportunity. He immediately introduced Alioune Ndour for Sandro Lima and Armen Ambartsumyan for Alwyn Tera, then brought on Franca for Zhirayr Shaghoyan a minute later. Riga responded by sending on reserve goalkeeper Krisjanis Zviedris for Raki Aouani on 76 minutes.

Hugo Oliveira (Ararat-Armenia) — Scored the opening goal with a composed left-footed finish and ran the midfield contest. The Portuguese midfielder's 63rd-minute strike was the breakthrough Riga could not recover from.

Franca (Ararat-Armenia) — The Brazilian substitute made the game safe with an 86th-minute right-footed finish from Edgar Grigoryan's assist, just 13 minutes after coming off the bench.

João Bravim (Ararat-Armenia) — The Portuguese goalkeeper kept a clean sheet on his Champions League debut, making three saves as Riga pushed for an away goal before the red card.

Player of the match: Hugo Oliveira

Ararat-Armenia's 54% possession and 14 total shots (6 on target) reflect a game that was even until the red card, then tilted decisively. Before the 72nd minute, Riga had competed well — they registered 3 shots on target of their own and 6 corners. The sending-off changed everything: the second goal (86') came with Riga down to ten men and chasing an equaliser, leaving gaps at the back. The xG data (not publicly available at time of writing) would likely show a sharp spike for Ararat after the 72nd minute.

Ararat-Armenia take a two-goal lead into the second leg in Riga on 14 July 2026. The winner of the tie advances to the second qualifying round, where they would face either Sabah (Azerbaijan) or The New Saints (Wales).

For Riga — returning to the Champions League after a five-year absence — the task is clear: they must overturn a 2-0 deficit at home, and they will be without first-choice goalkeeper Orols due to suspension.

A disciplined, patient performance from Ararat-Armenia was rewarded after Riga's self-inflicted wound. The tie is not over — Riga are capable of scoring at home — but the Armenian side's two-goal cushion and the absence of Orols for the return leg give them a clear advantage heading into the second leg on 14 July.