Match start – 9 PM.
“Kauno Žalgiris” has already achieved the most important goal of this summer: last week, by surpassing the “Klaksvik” team from the Faroe Islands, the club from the temporary capital secured a place in one of the UEFA tournaments.
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Having already secured nearly 4 million euros, the Kaunas team can further improve their position – by winning the third qualifying round, they would be one step away from the most prestigious continental tournament, the Champions League, and in the worst case, they would play in the second-tier tournament, the Europa League.
However, overcoming this barrier will be extremely difficult. Standing in Žalgiris’ way is “Dinamo” – 26-time Croatian champion, who in the past two decades has only twice relinquished the throne of the strongest team in the country and practically competes in UEFA tournaments every year, often in the Champions League.
According to “Transfermarkt” data, “Dinamo” players are valued at more than 65 million euros, while “Kauno Žalgiris” players are valued at just over 9 million euros. An even greater gap opens up when comparing club budgets: the Croats are estimated to have nearly 70 million euros, while the Kaunas team has less than 5 million euros.
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“This is a very important day for all of us, especially for me. I am returning to my city, to my club, and also to play UEFA Champions League matches,” said Željko Sopičius, the Croatian coach of “Kauno Žalgiris,” who briefly coached “Dinamo” in the past, on the eve of the match. “This day is not easy for me and my family, but I think we are ready for it. We will give our all to achieve a good result and keep real chances to advance before the return match.”
The match will take place at the Maksimir Stadium, which has a history of more than a century and a capacity of about 25,000 people.
The winner of this pair will face the Norwegian champion “Viking” in the decisive fourth qualifying round, while the losing team will compete in the Europa League qualifiers against “Hradec Kralove” (Czech Republic) or Istanbul’s “Beşiktaş” (Turkey).
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