Europa League: Frankfurt edge resilient Riga FS

Berlin:  Eintracht Frankfurt secured their second win of the Europa League third round with a 1-0 victory over Riga, thanks to a goal from substitute Hugo Larsson. In a quiet first half, the Eagles controlled possession but struggled to create clear scoring opportunities. Riga remained well-organized defensively, keeping Frankfurt away from their goal. The visitors had the first chance in the 15th minute when Adam Markhiyev shot wide from a promising position. Frankfurt responded quickly with a counterattack, but Omar Marmoush’s shot from a tight angle was saved by Riga goalkeeper Fabrice Ondoa, reports Xinhua. Frankfurt continued to search for a breakthrough, coming close with long-range efforts, including Igor Matanovic’s shot over the bar from 20 meters on the half-hour mark. The hosts increased the pressure after the break, but chances for Tuta and Marmoush went unfinished. A potential penalty for Frankfurt was overturned by VAR around the 60th minute, with the review showing that Marmoush was fouled outside the area. Frankfurt finally broke the deadlock in the 79th minute when Marmoush set up Larsson, who drove the ball past Ondoa into the bottom left corner. Riga nearly equalized moments later, but Markhiyev’s solo effort hit the crossbar. Frankfurt managed to hold off the visitors until the final whistle, securing their second win of the campaign. “We won, but we didn’t play a good game. We were very sluggish in the first half, we played very slow football and didn’t move much. We also made a lot of simple mistakes. We won in the end, but it was a hard-earned victory,” said Frankfurt’s sporting director, Markus Krosche. The victory lifts Frankfurt to sixth place, while Riga FS drops to 31st in the Europa League phase. –IANS