Riga FS host Sabah at the Slokas Stadium in the first leg of their UEFA Europa Conference League second qualifying round on Thursday (July 27).
The Latvian side made light work of Makedonija in the first round, winning 5-1 on aggregate. They won 1-0 in Macedonia in the first leg away and 4-1 at home.
At the weekend, Riga added more wind to their sails with a stunning 5-2 thrashing of Auda in the Latvian Higher League, powered by a four-goal salvo from Ismael Diomande.
With 55 points from 23 games, Viktors Morozs' side are second in the league table and breathing fire at the moment.
Last year, they played in the group stage of the Conference League but went winless in six games to finish last. However, it was an admittedly tough group with Istanbul Basaksehir and eventual runners-up, Fiorentina.
Sabah, meanwhile, are set play their first qualifying game in Europe. Founded in 2017, the Azeri side achieved their highest finish in their domestic league last season, finishing second to reach the Conference League qualifiers.
Murad Musayev's side are coming off a promising pre-season, going unbeaten in four games, winning twice. A pair of wins over Shamakhi (1-0) and Kapaz (3-0) was followed by a pair of draws to Besiktas (3-3) and Olympiacos (1-1).
Riga obviously have more experience than first-timers Sabah, who fared well in pre-season. They will look to make an impression on their European debut, but their rivals from Latvia are in terrific form and should prevail.
Prediction: Riga 2-0 Sabah
Tip 1 - Result: Riga
Tip 2 - Goals over/under 2.5: Under 2.5
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: No
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