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On Sunday in Liepaja, Vilnius "Žalgiris" will also play their third match in the Baltic League against the local "Metalurgs" and will seek their first victory.
Liepaja "Daugava" stadium Baltic Football League C group 3rd round match Liepaja - Vilnius (Match starts at 14:00)
Two weeks ago, in the fierce matches between these two teams in Vilnius, a draw was recorded. After two matches, both the Liepaja and Vilnius teams have collected 2 points each in the C group, so a victory for either team would guarantee a ticket to the quarterfinals.
The Vilnius team will still not be able to count on defender Anatolijus Ostapas from Moldova, who is recovering from a knee ligament injury. However, his compatriot, one of the leaders of "Žalgiris" Iulianas Bursucas, traveled to Liepaja with the team, unable to help the team in the 1st round match in Tallinn against "Levadia" (1-1) due to visa issues.
The Žalgiris players, actively looking for a new striker, decided to forgo the services of another legionary Slovenian Blaž Pučo, who participated in a trial, but former Lithuanian youth national team member, who already played for the Vilnius club in 2005, Nikolajus Misiukas, returns to "Žalgiris". However, the latter will probably not appear in Liepaja.
Commenting on the upcoming match with "Metalurgs," "Žalgiris" coach and president Arminas Narbekovas as always was succinct: "The opponent is really strong, but we are not going to give up and will play in Liepaja full force and fight for the first victory."
Although after the first match in Vilnius, Liepājas club coach Benjaminas Zelkevičius joked that he was not sorry to give points to "Žalgiris," there is no doubt that the hosts in this match will fight only for 3 points, and some of the "Metalurgs" leaders Mindaugas Kalonas, Darius Miceika, and Tomas Tamošauskas will try to punish their compatriots.
"This will be our first match on natural grass. These matches are crucial, and we are ready to win three points," B.Zelkevičius promised firmly.
Since the last meeting in Vilnius, "Metalurgs" parted ways with three footballers - the Ukrainian Sitnikas, Paraguayan Mačuke, and the Brazilian Kaetano.
Fatigue due to the participation of key players in national team matches could also hinder the hosts. If "Žalgiris" delegated only I. Morinas to the national team, then "Metalurgs" sent three players each to the Lithuanian and Latvian national teams.
Possible line-ups of the teams:
"Metalurgs": Spole; Zirnis, Klava, Ivanovs, Surnins; Kečs, Petrenko, Tamošauskas, Kalonas; Astrauskas, Karlsons.
Žalgiris: Šetkus; Choruži, Steško, Ngapunu, Dubina; Bursuc, Vilėniškis, Poderis, Lemežis, Morinas; Mižigurskis.
