RFS — Hamrun Spartans : Match Preview and Prediction for August 28,2025

Current Season Performance for RFS

This season, RFS (Riga Football School) finds itself trailing FC Riga in the Latvian championship race, with Oleg Moroz’s charges currently three points behind their city rivals after two-thirds of the season. Their European performance has also dipped compared to last year, where they were the lowest-ranked team in the Europa League. This year, they face the real prospect of missing out on the Conference League altogether.

First Leg Review and Second Leg Strategy

The first leg against Maltese side Hamrun Spartans ended in a disappointing 0-1 away defeat, leaving RFS with a deficit to overcome. That match was largely devoid of clear-cut chances, though Steve Tjonge managed to score early in the second half, securing Hamrun’s narrow lead. It’s expected that Hamrun will adopt a defensive posture on the road, ceding possession to the Latvian hosts and looking to exploit counter-attacking opportunities. Players like Ikaunieks, Lipovsek, and Lemajić will need to be at their best to break down the Maltese defense, but RFS can rely on their European experience and crucial home support.

Hamrun Spartans’ Away Form

The ‘Spartans’ have displayed a concerning pattern in their European campaign this season: a perfect record of three away losses. They fell 0-2 to Žalgiris, 0-3 to Dynamo Kyiv, and 1-3 to Maccabi Tel-Aviv. Notably, two of these ‘away’ fixtures were played at neutral venues due to geopolitical circumstances. Regardless, Giacomo Modica’s squad consistently struggles when playing away from their home stadium, Ta’ Qali.

Hamrun’s Approach in Riga

This pattern of poor away form could very well repeat itself in Riga, especially considering that RFS possesses greater European pedigree and experience than the Maltese champions. It’s highly probable that the ‘Spartans’ will focus on a counter-attacking strategy, also hoping to capitalize on set-pieces. In the first leg, Hamrun profited from a careless error by RFS in their own half during a tightly contested game, but expecting a similar gift in this return fixture is unrealistic.