Preview

Shakhtar will face champions of Latvia RFS Riga in the test match. The game will take place in Antalya. It kicks off at 16:00 Kyiv time.

All friendlies of the Orange-and-Blacks are streamed on Shakhtar’s YouTube channel and the FC Shakhtar mobile app (App Store and Google Play) in the Live section.

Opponents

FC RFS (Riga Football School) are three-time champions of Latvia (2021, 2023, 2024) and three-time winners of the Latvian Cup (2019, 2021, 2024). In the 2024 Latvian Higher League (the championship is held according to the spring-autumn system), the team won 29 out of 36 matches and secured the gold medals early. In the 2024/25 European season, the Blue-and-Whites began their campaign in the Champions League qualifiers before moving to the UEFA Europa League league phase, where they secured 1 win, tied 2 times and suffered 5 defeats in 8 matches. They finished 32nd in the final standings with 5 points (goal difference: 6-13).

RFS head coach is 44-year-old Latvian specialist Viktors Morozs, who has been leading the team since February 2020. The team captain is Slovenian defender Ziga Lipuscek. The most prolific player of the Blue-and-Whites and the leader is the 29-year-old Latvian attacking midfielder Janis Ikaunieks, who registered 19 goals and 8 assists in last year’s championship and Latvian Cup, while also scoring 9 times in European competition.

This winter, RFS played two competitive matches of the UEFA Europa League: they defeated Dutch side Ajax (1-0) and lost to Dynamo Kyiv (0-1). The Riga-based side also played 6 friendly matches, winning 5 and losing 1. RFS hammered Dynamo Batumi (5-1) in the last match on February 9.