- Away form: Rigas Futbola Skola have a fantastic away record in all competitions (W4, D1, L0).
- Momentum: Jablonec are on a back-to-back victories streak after beating Sigma Olomouc (2-0) and NK Varazdin (2-1).
- Top scorers: Jablonec's Dusan Pavlovic (1 goal in 1 game) and Rigas Futbola Skola's Janis Ikaunieks (2 goals in 4 games) are the leading scorers in the UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 to date.
Form suggests Rigas can give Jablonec a run for their money
Jablonec are a 1.5 favorite for Thursday's UEFA Conference League qualification 2026 tie with Riga's Rigas Futbola Skola, but the Latvians will give a good account of themselves in this game.
The odds reflect the fact that the Czech club have a poorer record than RFS heading into the game, but the gap in form is much greater than the odds suggest, as Jablonec have won three, drawn one and lost six of their last 10 in all-competitions. Rigas, on the other hand, are in sensational shape with eight wins and two draws from their last 10, a sequence that includes a 4-1 home win over IF Vestri and a 1-0 away win at Tukums 2000 in their two most recent games.
Rigas are rock-solid away from home
Home and away form
Jablonec have won three, drawn one and lost two of their six home games in all-competitions, while Rigas have been rock solid on the road, as the away record mentioned above shows. Lubos Kozel's men have scored nine goals in their last six home matches, so they have enough about them to make a mark on this fixture.
Key players and tactics
Dusan Pavlovic has made a mark on the UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 with one goal in one game, while Janis Ikaunieks has been the main danger man for Rigas with two goals in four matches.
- Rigas' away success has been built around a back-four system in which Viktors Morozs has his men organised and streetwise – a method that should suit the one-game knockout nature of European competition.
- Jablonec, on the other hand, play a three at the back with wing-backs, but Kozel's controlled-aggression style has sparked a useful recent uptick.
Rigas to disrupt Jablonec’s game plan
The clash of styles makes the wide areas and set-piece moments crucial to the game because Jablonec will want to dictate the match and overload the flanks while Rigas will sit compact and break vertically. Rigas will try to break vertically, so the 'both teams to score' option at 1.85 looks a winner here.
Jablonec's home record suggests they should win, but Rigas are such good travellers that they could keep this a lot closer than the 6.3 outsider odds indicate – although our preferred outcome is a home victory.
