In the return match, the Vilnius team crushed Tbilisi’s “Dinamo” 7:2, won the two-match confrontation with an aggregate score of 7:5, and created one of the most memorable comebacks in the history of Lithuanian club football.
Read more The technology sector, which has «bled» smartly, is recovering, oil prices continue to fall
Such a finale seemed impossible for a long time. After the first half, the score was tied 1:1, and in the 72nd minute, “Žalgiris” was leading only 3:2. Even then, the Georgians still had a two-goal advantage on aggregate and seemed firmly holding the ticket to the next stage.
But the last part of the match turned into Liepkalnis madness.
The fourth, fifth, and sixth goals fell one after another into the “Dinamo” net, putting the Vilnius team ahead for the first time in this two-match battle. Finally, the confused visitors conceded the seventh goal, and with each precise strike, the noise in the stadium stands grew into an uncontrollable euphoria.
The biggest hero of the historic evening was Stanislav Bilenkyi, who scored three goals. Nikola Petković scored a double, while Nemanja Mihajlović and Bryanas Teixeira each scored once.
“Žalgiris,” having secured a ticket to the third qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League, also secured a prize of 1.075 million euros. In the next stage, the Vilnius team will face Split’s “Hajduk”.
Read more On the Vilnius–Molėtai road – new changes: what drivers need to know?
“It was a crazy night for us. We corrected the mistakes made, showed character, and proved that we deserved to advance to the next qualifying round. I want to thank our fans. It was amazing; they pushed us forward and gave us a lot of energy. We are happy with such a performance and comeback,” said one of the match heroes, S. Bilenkyi, at the press conference.
The Ukrainian admitted that although he scored three goals himself, personal statistics were not the most important thing for him.
“I am happy for the team. It doesn’t matter whether I score or not; the team’s result is what matters. Of course, I am happier when I score and we win. I scored against my former team’s goal, I feel sorry for them too. Speaking about the match, it was something crazy. We conceded goals due to silly mistakes, but we had to keep showing character, fight, move forward, as we talked before the match, that no matter what happens, we will move forward, and after scoring one goal, we will continue step by step,” said the summer signing from Ukraine who joined “Žalgiris”.
The first match of the third qualifying round against “Hajduk” will be played by Žalgiris on August 6 in Vilnius, and the return match will take place on August 13 in Split.
Read more Vilnius and Kaunas housing markets – different trends: what do buyers choose?
