Vilnius District “TransIinvest” – Kaunas District “Hegelmann”
- May 29, 7 PM
- Galinė, FK “TransINVEST” stadium
- Previous match: 1:3
In Galinė – another unpredictable Logistics derby.
“TransInvest” footballers suffered their first defeat in the second round in Telšiai, also ending a series of six consecutive unbeaten matches. After the disappointing loss, the Vilnius district team with 25 points dropped to 3rd place in the tournament table. Ukrainian Yehor Glushats will miss the next match due to suspension, and Dominykas Barauskas was not called up to the Lithuanian national team due to injury. The hosts’ defense line will be heavily depleted, but these losses have been compensated by excellent offense for some time now.
Read more 10 new electric buses hit the streets of Kretinga district
The blue and whites visited Galinė in May and were eliminated from the LFF Cup round of 16. However, Toplyga shows the most productive stretch – 8 points earned in the last four matches. Forward Kaderas Njoya Abdel contributed significantly, but Donatas Kazlauskas also dropped out due to injury. In the previous five matches of the Lithuanian championship, no team managed to keep a “clean sheet,” with at least five goals scored per game.
Vilnius “Riteriai” – Marijampolė “Sūduva”
- May 29, 8 PM
- Vilnius, FK “Žalgiris” home stadium
- Previous match: 0:5
Marijampolė has a good chance to improve their position in the tournament table.
At the end of one of the most intense parts of the season, “Riteriai” showed a fighting game and contended for a point in the City of the Sun. Recently, the capital team has been doing well defensively on the road, but the offense has been stuck for some time. In Toplyga, Vilnius players have not scored a goal for over two months, nor against “Sūduva” in the last three head-to-head matches. The team lost almost a dozen players from last season, so more opportunities are given to B team representatives.
“Sūduva” was lucky in the last round – the victory against the champion ended a series of four consecutive losses. Donatas Vencevičius’s team has a great chance to open their winning account away, as they have failed to do so in official matches this year in eight attempts. “Sūduva” awaits players returning from the international break, and due to suspension, last match’s hero Yusuke Omori will not play. Meanwhile, forward Meinardas Mikulėnas will face his former teammates for the first time this year.
Telšiai “Džiugas” – “Panevėžys”
- May 30, 2:15 PM
- Telšiai, Telšiai city central stadium
- Previous match: 1:0
The intriguing match broadcast from Telšiai will be available on the BTV channel.
“Džiugas” continues to impress with their point collection pace. Usually winning by a one-goal margin, the Samogitians rank second with 27 points and, if circumstances are favorable, can even rise to the top of the tournament table. One reason for stable play is the almost unchanged defense line. However, the team will miss suspended central defender Bacary Sane on Saturday. Since 2021, Telšiai have not managed to beat “Panevėžys” in ten Toplyga matches.
Excluding the technical win against “Riteriai,” Panevėžys achieved all other five Lithuanian championship wins by a one-goal margin. With coach Toni Korkeakunnu joining, the team shows a more combative game, but scoring stats have not changed much. If “Panevėžys” wins, which would be their third in a row, the top three would become within reach. In the last match, the team was without three full-backs, but Milan Delevičius was registered for the first time.
Read more A tough weekend test: will you answer at least 6 out of 10 difficult general knowledge questions?
Gargždai “Banga” – FA “Šiauliai”
- May 30, 3:30 PM
- Gargždai, Gargždai city stadium
- Previous match: 0:0
The teams approach Saturday’s match in Gargždai with different moods.
“Banga’s” unbeaten streak started after a loss to “Panevėžys,” lasted eight matches, and ended precisely in the capital of Aukštaitija. Head coach Davidas Afonso then rested Simao Junior and Vaidas Magdušauskas, who should appear in Saturday’s match. Although “Banga” together with “Kauno Žalgiris” shows the best defense in the championship, only in one of seven home matches against “Riteriai” did they manage to keep a clean sheet. Gargždai players have beaten the City of the Sun representatives only twice in front of their fans.
Although Mantas Kuklys’s team did not shine in Monday’s match against “Riteriai,” they secured a victory – currently 9th with 16 points. FA “Šiauliai” is one of the three remaining teams yet to win away. Šiauliai have shared points with opponents six times in eight matches, with only one loss in the last five meetings. M. Kuklys not only welcomed Artiom Baftalovskis but also registered midfielder Benny after more than three months’ break.
“Kauno Žalgiris” – Vilnius “Žalgiris”
- May 31, 2:15 PM
- Kaunas, Darius and Girėnas stadium
- Previous match: 3:0
The highly anticipated clash will be broadcast on the BTV channel.
It’s hard to believe, but the opponents facing each other are those who, along with “Riteriai,” have collected points the slowest in the last five matches. After four consecutive draws, Kaunas suffered a defeat in Marijampolė and, with 29 points, remains in the leading position. The biggest Achilles’ heel in the second round is conceding goals in the final minutes. “Kauno Žalgiris” is the highest-scoring home team, having failed to break through the defense only once against Šiauliai.
The poor start of the Vilnius team is well illustrated by the fact that only “Riteriai” have suffered more defeats in Toplyga this year. “Žalgiris” has a rather ambiguous away record so far: only two wins in seven matches, but conceding only 4 goals, which is the best defensive record. The capital club’s newcomer Danny Koy Lupano, like Stanislavas Bilenkis, will not play yet, so the team will continue to seek internal reserves. Midfielder Paulius Golubickas has scored only one goal in 14 matches so far.
Read more Gediminas Šimkus: ECB interest rate hike in June would be a wise step
