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Panevėžio "Ekranas" on Tuesday will seek the best result in the club's history - a ticket to the final stage of the UEFA Champions League qualification. In order to reach it, the Lithuanian football champions need to not lose the match against BATE Borisov in Belarus.
The goal - to score an away goal
The first match between the teams in Panevežys ended in a goalless draw 0:0. For most of the game, the five-time Belarusian champions, BATE, had the initiative, but the more serious threat in front of the "Ekranas" goal only came when the Panevežys team were reduced to ten men, after Serbian Marko Andželkovič was sent off for a foul in midfield.
However, "Ekranas" managed to keep the score level, which gives hope for the return leg. In Belarus, the Lithuanians would need to score some goals. Before traveling to Belarus, the injured captain of "Ekranas," Dainius Gleveckas, handed over the captain's armband to Ignas Dedura who was optimistic.
"We did not concede a goal, so the chances for both teams remain the same as before the first match. We need to score, and if we do that, I believe we will definitely advance to the next stage. These are the most important matches in many aspects, not only this season but also in the history of the club. If we advance, it would be great not only for us but for all of Lithuania," said the experienced defender.
If successful, "Ekranas" would advance to the UEFA Champions League qualifying round. The winners of this stage gain the right to play in the main tournament, while in case of failure, they go to the group stage of the UEFA Europa League.
Lithuanian clubs have never played in the group stages of UEFA club competitions, while BATE has been playing there for the last three years in a row. They played in the Champions League in the 2008/09 season, and in the Europa League in the last two years.
Team rosters - getting thinner
Eighteen "Ekranas" players traveled to Belarus on Monday morning. The team still cannot count on defender D. Gleveckas and forward Egidijus Varnas, M. Andželkovičius will not play due to disqualification, and recently joined by the Ivory Coast national team youth player Adama Fofana can only be registered for the next UEFA competition.
It is unclear if one of the team's leaders, R. Radavičius, will be able to play, as he injured his arm in the first match against BATE while playing in defense and missed the A League match against "Šiauliai" on Saturday.
In the last match, the Panevėžys team won 1-0 at home after A. Velička's goal in the first half. "It's good that we won three points, they are very important to us. We can continue preparing for the upcoming matches with positive emotions. Tuesday is awaiting difficult matches," said "Ekranas" coach Valdas Urbonas after the match.
He admitted that he wanted to give the main lineup players a break during the A League matches, but there simply aren't enough opportunities. "We don't have that many players. For comparison, BATE had only three players who played in Panevėžys in the Belarusian championship on Friday. We made only three substitutions."
The BATE and "Ekranas" match will take place on Tuesday at the Borisov city stadium, which can accommodate around 5400 spectators, starting at 7:00 pm.
