Hamrun Spartans will be hosting FK RFS of Latvia in the first leg of the UEFA Conference League play-off round at the National Stadium on Thursday, kick-off at 19:00.
This double-header against RFS provides the last opportunity for Hamrun Spartans to a make history and become the first Maltese club to reach the league stage
The Spartans had eliminated FK Zalgiris of Lithuania in the first qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League on penalties following a 2-0 defeat in Vilnius and a 2-0 win at the Centenary Stadium. In the second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League, Hamrun suffered back-to-back 0-3 defeats to Dynamo Kyiv and in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, the Spartans lost 1-2 to Maccabi Tel Aviv at the Tony Bezzina Stadium and 1-3 in the neutral venue of Backa Topola in Serbia.
However, despite suffering five defeats in six matches, the Spartans could still make it to the league stage of the UEFA Conference League should they eliminate RFS.
Their best performance so far was definitely the second leg against Zalgiris at the Centenary Stadium while in the home game against Maccabi Tel Aviv, two late goals ruined what was a good performance by the Spartans who could have taken with them to Serbia a narrow lead.
Against RFS, Hamrun cannot afford not turning the opportunities they create in goals. Something they are struggling to do, considering that they scored just four goals so far.
Unfortunately the current situation of the pitch of the National Stadium would not make things easier as despite an attempt by the Spartans to switch the venue to the Centenary Stadium, their request was not accepted by UEFA.
Coach Giacomo Modica could also have to deal with the absence of Jovan Cadjenovic who sustained an injury during the first match of the YoHealth Malta Premier against Tarxien Rainbows which had ended in a 1-1 draw.
Eliminating RFS will definitely be no easy task for the Spartans considering that although RFS entered UEFA competitions for the first time in 2019, since then they reached the group stage of the UEFA Europa Conference League in 2022/23 and the league stage of the UEFA Europa League last season.
Ironically in 2022, after bowing out of the UEFA Champions League, RFS met Hibernians in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League and following a 1-1 draw in Riga, they registered a highly controversial 3-1 win after extra time at the Centenary Stadium to reach the play-off round where they eliminated Linfield to qualify for the group stage.
Last season in the league stage of the UEFA Europa League, they earned five points thanks to a 1-0 win over Ajax and home draws with Anderlecht and Galatasaray.
This season, they entered the Champions League where they eliminated Levadia Tallinn with a 2-0 aggregate score but were then eliminated by Malmo with a 1-5 aggregate score dnd were then eliminated by KuPs from the Europa League with a 3-1 aggregate score.
RFS won the Latvian championship three times in 2021, 2023 and 2024, and the Latvian Cup three times – in 2019, 2021 and 2024. This season, they are currently second in the Latvian Virsliga with 64 points from 26 matches, three behind leaders Riga and twenty ahead of third-placed Liepaja.
The return match is scheduled for August 28 at the LNK Sporta Parks in Riga.