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"Žalgiris" coach Marekas Zubas was right. His team is capable of defeating the Poznan "Lech" team.
The capital team started the UEFA Europa League third round battle with a narrow victory against the favorite pair and strengthened the fans' hopes to compete in the next round.
"Now the opponents have only a 30 percent chance of advancing," M. Zubas boldly stated after the match.
"Today's match was very pleasant for the players and me. Now we have even more chances to move forward, while "Lech's" chances are now about 30 percent. However, good teams are able to take advantage of this, but I believe in my team," shared the thoughts of the "Žalgiris" strategist.
"The main reason for the victory? Our hearts. We made a few mistakes, were too nervous, the result could have been even better. We had opportunities to score. It was not a very high-level match, but there were a lot of emotions in it," continued the Polish coach.
Thursday evening, the attention of the public was focused on football events on the pitch, not off it. The meeting, which went smoothly without major incidents, presented a true celebration to Lithuanian fans.
After the referee's final whistle, the "Žalgiris" players openly demonstrated their euphoria - they danced in front of the most loyal fans and thanked the spectators who supported the team at the stadium.
However, it's still too early to think about the final victory. Only a favorable return match will allow advancing to the fourth round. A place where VMFD "Žalgiris" has never been.
"The first half was here in Vilnius. The second will be in Poznan. We lost only the first half. It's not all lost yet. It's unfortunate that we leave without goals, but we will try to change the outcome in Poznan," said "Lech" coach Mariuszas Rumakas.
"Today we made a celebration for our fans. They supported us a lot. We will do our best so that fans can still see us in this stadium. It's worth playing football just for such matches and emotions. This month, the month of July, is interesting not only for our fans, but for Lithuanian fans as well," rejoiced one of the most experienced "Žalgiris" players, Andrius Skerla.
"The difference between "Žalgiris" and "Lech" is that we can move to the next stage, and they must do it. Their fans will not understand the team if they lose. It will be very difficult in Poznan. We know that, but we have nothing to lose and we will fight until the end. "Lech" plays differently at home, and they feel a lot of pressure in front of their fans. But we will go and aim for the best result," said the player.
After the match in Vilnius, the gathered fans could observe an unusual sight - the "Lech" team players approached their fan section and listened to their comments for about fifteen minutes.
A. Skerla has played in Poland, so apologies from "Lech" players to the fans after the match are not a surprise to him.
"I have personally been in such encounters more than once. We had to listen to their stories on how to play. It's normal in Poland. They love their teams very much, and it's common for fans to openly express their criticism," A. Skerla said.
The return match will take place in Poznan in a week. "Žalgiris" players will start preparing for it on Monday.
