© EuroFootball.com
Zalcburgo "Red Bull" underestimates the Vilnius "Žalgiris" team before the first UEFA Europa League knockout match on Thursday.
Eleven players will face off, presided over by Macedonian referee Aleksandar Stavrev, at 8:00 PM Lithuanian time, with the match broadcast live on LRT.
Don't expect an easy walk
The Austrians are not trying to be overly modest and admit that they are the clear favorites. This is confirmed by the betting offices: if you were to bet on a "Red Bull" victory, you could win a modest 1.25 times more, while a "Žalgiris" success could increase your pocket by 10 to 14 times more than bet. However, the leaders of the Lithuanian championship are feared only because they eliminated the strong Poznan "Lech" club from Poland in the previous stage.
"Red Bull" assistant coach Oliver Glasner visited Lithuania last week and watched the national championship match between "Žalgiris" and Alytus "Dainava", but returned almost empty-handed. "The opponent was not strong, so there was not much to see," said coach Roger Schmidt.
The German specialist noted that he gained more knowledge by watching the matches against "Lech": "It is obvious that "Žalgiris" is very well organized, plays defensively stably, and can transition to quick attacks. It is certainly not an easy task, but our goal is the group stage and there can be no compromises."
"Red Bull" would not be a newcomer in the group stage, as they reached this stage in 2009-2011 and participated in the Champions League qualification this year, but lost with an overall result of 4-2 to Istanbul's "Fenerbahce".
K. Bilinskis stands out
Austrian football observers note that in the Lithuanian championship, "Žalgiris" faces no competition, so they are accustomed to victories and scored goals. It is somewhat regrettable that the matches between Žalgiris and Panevėžys "Ekrantas" scheduled for August 17 were postponed, as it would have allowed to have a more accurate impression of the team's current form.
As before the matches with "Lech", opponents from "Žalgiris" highlight forward Kamil Bilinski, who scored 14 goals this season in the Lithuanian league and three times defeated opponents' goalkeepers in the Europa League. It is also noted that the team will lack another attacking player, Andrius Velička, who received a red card and was disqualified for two matches for hitting an opponent in Poznań.
Meanwhile, the most dangerous player in the Austrian club is Jonathan Soriano. The Spanish striker, who spent several years at Barcelona, became the team's captain and has already scored seven goals in five matches this season in Austria. He is expected to form a striking duo with the Brazilian Alan in the "Red Bull" attack.
However, experienced defender Franz Schiemer is likely to be missing from the lineup on Thursday, but the third nominal attacker, Havard Nielsen, will be able to play.
