Preview: Glentoran vs Rigas Futbola Skola - prediction, team news, lineups

Glentoran will play their first competitive game of the 2026-27 season when they face Rigas Futbola Skola in Thursday's Conference League qualifying clash. 

The first leg will take place at the BetMcLean Oval in Belfast, before the two sides meet in Latvia for next week's second leg. 

Match preview

Glentoran are set to compete in Conference League qualifying for the third time in six seasons after finishing in third place in the 2025-26 NIFL Premiership.

The Glens will have to negotiate fourth qualifying ties if they are to feature in the main draw of a UEFA competition for the first time since losing to Marseille in the Champions League first round in the 1992-1993 season.

Glentoran will be fully aware of the challenge of making it through just one round of preliminary action, having failed to make it beyond the first round in their last two experiences of Conference League qualifying.

They suffered a 3-1 aggregate defeat to Welsh side The New Saints in 2021, before they were beaten 14-13 on penalties by Maltese outfit Gzira United at this stage of the competition in 2022.

In fact, Glentoran have progressed from just three of their 20 UEFA competitions qualifying ties that have taken place in the 21st century.

Declan Devine's side head into the first leg on the back of a mixed run of results in pre-season, having seen their five official friendlies produce one win, two draws and two defeats. 

While Glentoran are set to play their first competitive match of the 2026-27 campaign, RFS are 22 games into the Latvian Higher League season, which runs from March to November.

RFS are sitting top of the standings with 56 points to their name, leaving them one point clear of rivals Riga FC, who beat them to the title by a narrow one-point margin in 2025. last.

As a result of that title disappointment, RFS missed out on a spot in Champions League qualifying, leaving them to settle for a place in the preliminary rounds of the Conference League, a competition they have previously 

RFS previously made an appearance in the Conference League main draw in 2022-23 when they finished bottom of a group that featured Istanbul Basaksehir, Fiorentina and Hearts.

The Latvian side have played three Conference League qualifying ties since that group-stage appearance, including a couple in 2023-24 when they followed a commanding round one win over Makedonija GP with a heavy defeat to Sabah in the second round.

Last season, they fell to a narrow 3-2 loss to Hamrun Spartans in the playoff round after dropping down from the qualifying rounds of the Champions League and Europa League.

With all their focus on their latest European campaign, Viktors Morozs's side should fancy their chances of leaving Belfast with a positive result, having lost just one of their last 18 matches (W15, D2). 

Glentoran form (friendlies):

L D W L D

Rigas Futbola Skola form (all competitions):

Team News

© Imago / Romans Koksarovs

Glentoran shot-stopper Andrew Mills is expected to get the nod over William Francis Crellin. 

The goalkeeper could be shielded by a back four made up of Ryan Cooney, Daniel Larmour, Marcus Kane and James Singleton.

At the opposite end of the pitch, Patrick Hoban will offer Glentoran's main attacking threat after scoring 31 goals in 39 competitive appearances last term. 

As for the visitors, experienced goalkeeper Jevgenijs Nerugals is set to feature in between the posts.

Morozs has switched between a back three and four, and if he opts for the latter, he could select Aleksandar Filipovic, Hedri Prenga, Ziga Lipuscek and Shina Kumater.

Glentoran possible starting lineup:

Mills; Cooney, Larmour, Kane, Singleton; Thomson, McEneff; Daniels, Malone, Stewart; Hoban

Rigas Futbola Skola possible starting lineup:

Nerugals; Filipovic, Prenga, Lipuscek, Kumater; Savalnieks, Saidy, Panic, Zelenkovs, Ikaunieks; Diomande 

We say: Glentoran 1-2 Rigas Futbola Skola

Glentoran are lacking the match sharpness that comes with playing competitive football, leaving them at a disadvantage to their opponents who are well up to speed, given the fact their domestic season started four months ago.

With that in mind, we think RFS will pick up a narrow win on Thursday, especially as they have more recent experience in qualifying action than their hosts. 

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.