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On Sunday, the matches of the third round of the A-League were played. After this round, the standings are becoming clearer: only the champions "Kaunas" and the vice-champion "Ekranas" have not lost any points, "Atlantas" is in third place, three Vilnius teams share mid-table positions, while the outsiders are "Šilutė" and "Sūduva".
For the first time, the "Vėtra" club played in the Vilnius derby, as they moved to the capital from Rūdiškiai this year. These matches are important for another reason - both clubs are currently in mid-table, and "Vėtra" is still seeking its first win this season.
In the beginning of the match, there was a lot of tough play and missed opportunities, which hindered both teams from getting closer to the opponents' goal. The consequences of harsh play were first felt by "Žalgiris" when a player had to leave the field due to injury. After four minutes, one player of the opposing team jumped towards Žalgiris' goalkeeper Malinauskas, but was punished with a yellow card for simulation.
The start of the second half was better for "Žalgiris", and in the 50th minute, the goalkeeper of "Vėtra", Poškus, failed to deflect the ball successfully after a shot, but the Žalgiris players did not manage to reach the ball. "Vėtra" did not capitalize on their opportunities from corner kicks, while on the other side of the field, Poškus saved his team.
In Marijampolė, FBK "Kaunas" finally showed better play and, after securing a victory, continue to compete head to head with "Ekranas". However, the opponent was not threatening - Marijampolė's team has been struggling lately, especially in away matches.
The match in Panevėžys was supposed to determine which of the two (or both) teams occupying the top two spots would lose points. "Ekranas" took advantage of the home stadium and celebrated a victory with a minimal result.
In Klaipėda, two league outsiders clashed. "Šilutė", who played well in the first half, collapsed in the second half, conceding three goals.
