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FK RFS will host KuPS at the LNK Sporta Parks on Thursday for the first leg of the third qualifying round of the 2025-26 UEFA Europa League campaign. Both teams will be keen to get the win and gain an advantage in the tie.
RFS lost both legs of their Champions League second qualifying round to Malmo by an aggregate scoreline of 5-1 to see them drop to the Europa League preliminary rounds. The Latvian hosts, who continued their push for a title defense in their domestic league with a win on Sunday, were eliminated in the league phase of last season’s UEL campaign and will be focused on making it that far this season, starting with a home win on Thursday.
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KuPS won the first leg against Kairat 2-0 but ended up suffering a similar fate to this midweek's hosts after suffering a 3-0 defeat in the second leg on Tuesday to send them into the Europa League qualifiers. The Finnish side returned to winning ways with a 3-2 win in their domestic league on Saturday, but will be up against a much tougher challenge when they make the trip to Riga this week.
FK RFS vs KuPS Head-to-Head and Key Numbers
- Thursday's game will mark the first-ever meeting between these two teams.
- RFS have been up against Finnish opposition twice in their history, winning one and losing the other.
- KuPS have never made it into the main stages of a UEFA competition in their history.
- The hosts have the best offensive and second-best defensive records in the Latvian Virsliga so far, with 66 goals scored and 24 conceded after 25 games played.
- The visitors have the second-best defensive record in the Finnish Veikkausliga with only 20 goals conceded after 18 games played.
FK RFS vs KuPS Prediction
The hosts are favorites to get the win courtesy of their home advantage, but will need to avoid complacency and be at their best to get a comfortable win.
Keltamusta will be optimistic to get a result and will be satisfied to get a draw on Thursday to leave the tie to be decided at their home ground next week, but could ultimately fall short.
Prediction: FK RFS 2 - 1 KuPS
FK RFS vs KuPS Betting Tips
Tip 1 - Result: RFS to win
Tip 2 - Goals - Over/under 2.5 - Over 2.5 goals (Four of the hosts' last five games have produced more than 2.5 goals)
Tip 3 - Both teams to score: Yes (Both teams have gotten on the scoresheet in three of the hosts' last four games)
