Ararat-Armenia vs Riga Preview & Prediction | 2026-27 UEFA Champions League | First Qualifying Round

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Armenian champions Ararat-Armenia kick off their UEFA Champions League campaign against Latvian champions Riga in the first-leg of their first qualifying round tie.

Kick-off date/time: 7 July 2026 at 5:00 pm

How to watch on TV: UK – Not televised / USA – Not televised

How to watch online: UK – Cannot be streamed / USA – Cannot be streamed

Ararat-Armenia vs Riga prediction

Winning their third Armenian Premier League title last season, Ararat-Armenia, under the management of former Portugal international Tulipa, have a heavily Brazilian-influenced squad with five of the South Americans in their squad.

They now face a Riga side that reclaimed the Latvian Higher League title for the first time in five years last season. Riga were knocked out of the UEFA Europa Conference League at the playoff stage last year, losing 2-1 on aggregate to Czech giants Sparta Prague.

Riga will be expected to keep things tight, especially in this first-leg away from home, and a low-scoring encounter is to be expected at the Abovyan City Stadium.

Ararat-Armenia vs Riga tip: Under 2.5 goals