© EuroFootball.com
On Saturday at 2:00 pm in the Vilnius "Sportima" arena, the Baltic Football League C group matches will take place, where Vilnius and Liepaja will meet.
For both teams, these will be the second matches in the Baltic League. Both Vilnius and Liepaja previously played draws of 1-1 against Estonian champions Tallinn "Levadia".
In today's match, Zalgiris will once again be without defenders Aleksejus Dubina and Edvinas Lukosevicius. As EuroFootball.com explained by "Zalgiris" club president and coach Arminas Narbekovas, both players have not yet completed contract formalities - E.Lukosevicius still has an official contract with Klaipeda "Atlantas" until April 4, while A.Dubina's former club Novopolacko "Naftan" has not yet sent the release letter.
One of the team leaders, goalkeeper Iulianas Bursucas, will be able to play against "Metalurgs" after missing the match against "Levadia" in Estonia due to visa issues.
Another goalkeeper from Moldova, Anatolijus Ostapas, who suffered a groin injury during training camp in Cyprus, is gradually recovering.
"A.Ostapas condition is improving, he has started training little by little. We hope that by the start of the A League season, the player will recover and be able to help us," - said A.Narbekovas.
Although wishes and intentions are not always realized, we will play with all our strength against "Metalurgs" and aim only for victory," - said the feelings before today's match explained the "Zalgiris" manager.
Liepaja "Metalurgs" should attract a lot of attention. This team is coached by former Lithuanian national team coach Benjaminas Zelkevicius, who, according to some sources, negotiated with "Zalgiris" during the offseason. Five Lithuanians represent the Latvian club founded a decade ago - Nerijus Astrauskas, Vadimas Petrenka, Tomas Tamosauskas, Darius Miceika, and Mindaugas Kalonas. The latter three were invited to the Lithuanian national team to prepare for the European Championship qualifying matches with France.
If Lithuanians dominate in the center of the field, the defense of "Metalurgs" is particularly Latvian and strong. Four defenders of the Liepaja club - Oskars Klava, Denis Ivanovs, Dintars Zirnis, and Pavels Surnins - are called up to the national team. In addition to them, defender Genadijus Solonicins and striker Girts Karlsons, who significantly strengthened the club before the season, play in the national team.
A certain rivalry will also be added by the coaches' duel - student against teacher. As it is known, B.Zelkevicius, trained the legendary "Zalgiris" in the ninth decade of the last century, whose leader was A.Narbekovas. Today, the student and the teacher will stand on opposite sides of the barricade.
In 2005, after becoming champions of their country, last year "Metalurgs" had to settle for second place. The Liepaja club tested its strength in the Champions League last summer - in the first qualifying stage, they surpassed Kazakhstan's "Aktobe", but stumbled in the second stage against Kiev's "Dynamo".
The "Zalgiris" football club informs that entry to the match with "Metalurgs" at the "Sportima" arena is free.
Projected "Zalgiris" lineup: E.Setkus; M.Choruzi, I.Stesko, B.Ngapunu, G.Aleksa; I.Bursuc, A.Stesko, E.Poderis, R.Vileniskis; I.Morinas, V.Mizigurskis.
Projected "Metalurgs" lineup: Spole; Zirnis, Klava, Ivanovs, Surnins; Petrenko, Tamosauskas, Petkovic, Kalonas, Karlsons, Kecs.
