Ararat-Armenia vs Riga Predictions
Ararat-Armenia and Riga meet in the first leg of their Champions League opening qualifying-round tie on Tuesday.
The Armenian champions are tough to beat at home, but Riga arrive sharper and in excellent form with their domestic season already well underway.
I have my money on Riga to at least avoid defeat.
Riga Backed in Abovyan
- Ararat-Armenia face their first competitive fixture of the season
- Riga won 8 of their last 9 matches
- Riga are unbeaten in their last 21 matches
First Competitive H2H Meeting
Ararat-Armenia and Riga FC will meet for the first time on Tuesday.
Ararat-Armenia Face First Competitive Fixture of the Season
Ararat-Armenia return to European action after claiming their third Armenian Premier League title last season.
Manuel Tulipa’s side collected 60 points from 27 matches, finishing four points clear of Noah at the top of the table. The Armenians lost just three games during a strong title-winning campaign, finishing four points clear of Noah.
Manuel Tulipa's men warmed up for Tuesday's contest with two pre-season friendlies, drawing 1-1 against both Mura and Vojvodina.
While those friendly wins should have helped build Armenian rhythm, the hosts may still lack some competitive sharpness against a Riga side already deep into their domestic season.
Tulipa's side return to European competition after suffering a 6-2 aggregate defeat against Sparta Prague in the third round of last season’s Conference League qualifiers.
Riga Maintain Excellent Domestic Form
Riga make the trip to Armenia in excellent form, with their 2026 Virsliga campaign already well underway.
Adrian Gula's side eased to a 3-0 win against Jelgava last weekend, with Raki Aouani, Reginaldo Ramires and Juan Christian among the goals.
Riga have now won eight of their last nine matches, while keeping clean sheets in five of their seven most recent victories. Gula's men sit second in the division, one point behind local rivals RFS.
The Latvians have already played 22 league matches this season, giving them a clear fitness advantage ahead of Tuesday’s first leg.
Coincidentally, Riga also suffered Conference League elimination at the hands of Sparta Prague, falling to a 2-1 aggregate defeat in last season’s qualifying play-off round.
Ararat-Armenia vs Riga Team News
Ararat-Armenia:(4-2-3-1) Joao Bravim; Hugo Oliveira, Alexandros Malis, Luis Felipe, Bruno Pereira; Alwyn Tera, Welton; Artur Serobyan, Armen Ambartsumyan, Zhirayr Shaghoyan; Sandro Lima
Ararat-Armenia have had a busy summer, with several incomings and outgoings ahead of their Champions League return.
Hakob Hakobyan has left for Alashkert, while goalkeeper Bruno Pinto and centre-back Joao Queiros have also departed.
The Armenian champions have added Maxence Carlier, Carlos Franca, Bruno Pereira, Luis Felipe and Sandro Lipa on free transfers, and all five could be involved on Tuesday.
Riga FC:(4-2-3-1) Frenks Orols; Andres Salazar, Karl Wassom, Antonijs Cernomordijs, Raivis Jurkovskis; Ahmed Ankrah, Salah-Eddine Oulad M'Hand; Meissa Diop, Iago Siqueira, Raki Aouani; Reginaldo Ramires
Riga have no major injury concerns reported before their trip to Armenia.
In-form midfielder Iago Siqueira Augusto is expected to feature for the Latvians.