Thread: A few thoughts on tonights UCL match for Maccabi Tel Aviv vs. Riga. Riga may seem like an "easy" opponent on paper, but I have watched them several times the last year & they are a very good team. It seems they have had foreign investment come in +they are the sister

club of Pafos in Cyprus. They have become the powerhouse of Latvia, winning the last two league titles and on course to win 3 in a row. They had a great run in Europe last year & had some very good results. Things to keep an eye on: Striker Kule Mbombo. He can play at a much

higher level & I expect him to move on to a bigger club in the near future. Several key players have not been in the squad for domestic matches lately, which is also a big question mark. Lastly & most important- the manager Oleg Kononov. He is a very interesting hire for Riga

He has enjoyed success in clubs in Russia (Krasnodar). Maccabi are the favorite & should absolutely win, but in a one match leg & Riga playing every week now for 2 months, anything is possible and that is why we love football. Hope this thread was helpful!