In the 21st round of the TOPsport A Lyga, Vilnius Žalgiris secured a much-needed 2–0 victory over FC Džiugas Telšiai, putting behind their recent disappointment in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers. Both goals came in the second half, allowing the capital club to draw level on points with their opponents in the league table.
From the opening minutes, Žalgiris looked the more energetic side, dominating possession and pushing forward with intent. Early pressure nearly paid off when Giedrius Matulevičius forced a solid save from Marius Paukštė, the Džiugas goalkeeper.
Midway through the half, Džiugas responded with a promising attack — Oleksandr Kurtsev latched onto a well-placed ball from deep and tested Carlos Olses in the Žalgiris net, but the Venezuelan keeper handled it comfortably. Shortly after, Žalgiris forward Liviu Antal tried his luck but failed to seriously trouble the Džiugas goal.
Just after halftime, Džiugas came close to punishing Žalgiris, with Kurtsev and Aram Baghdasaryan both getting shots off in a dangerous sequence. However, Olses was up to the task with two crucial saves to keep the score level.
In the 54th minute, Bruno Tavares sent a brilliant through ball to Antal, but the experienced forward couldn’t get past Paukštė. Moments later, Baghdasaryan found himself in a similar position on the other end but missed the target.
The breakthrough finally came in the 66th minute. Dino Salčinović delivered a pinpoint cross, and Liviu Antal rose highest to head the ball into the net, giving Žalgiris a deserved 1–0 lead.
Just over ten minutes later, Salčinović turned from provider to scorer, capitalizing on a scramble in Džiugas’ penalty area to double the advantage and seal the win.
With this result, Žalgiris climbs to 28 points, drawing level with Džiugas, who remain in fifth place. After a rocky spell and their recent European exit, the victory brings some much-needed momentum for the Vilnius giants as they look to climb back into the title race.
FK Žalgiris vs FC Džiugas Telšiai – 2:0 (0:0)
Goals: Antal 66′, Salcinovič 78′
ŽAL: Olses, Tavares, Radenovic, Dumančic, Šetkus (Youla 85′), Matulevičius (Lukaševic 46′), Ofori, Verbickas, Hadji (Salcinovič 46′), Kendysh, Antal (Matyzonok 85′)
DŽI: Paukšte, Vermeulen, Cisse, Pushkarov (Vasiliauskas 74′), Trajkovski, Ankudinovas, Vinckus (Yamada 62′), Kulbachuk, Silkaitis, Baghdasaryan, Kurtsev (Girdvainis 84′)
A Lyga Matchday Matchday 21:
- 19.07.2025 – FK Žalgiris vs FC Džiugas Telšiai – 2:0
- 20.07.2025 – FK Paņevežys vs FA Šiauliai – 18:25
- 20.07.2025 – FK Sūduva vs FK Riteriai – 19:30
- 21.07.2025 – FK Kauno Žalgiris vs DFK Dainava Alytus – 19:30
- 13.08.2025 – FK Banga Gargždai vs Hegelmann FC – 19:00
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Kauno Žalgiris | 35 | 22 | 8 | 5 | 41 | 74 |
| 2 | Hegelmann FC | 35 | 20 | 4 | 11 | 12 | 64 |
| 3 | FK Žalgiris | 35 | 17 | 11 | 7 | 15 | 62 |
| 4 | FK Sūduva | 35 | 15 | 14 | 6 | 13 | 59 |
| 5 | FA Šiauliai | 35 | 14 | 9 | 12 | 6 | 51 |
| 6 | FK Panevėžys | 35 | 13 | 7 | 15 | 5 | 46 |
| 7 | FC Džiugas Telšiai | 35 | 13 | 6 | 16 | -8 | 45 |
| 8 | FK Banga Gargždai | 35 | 11 | 8 | 16 | 2 | 41 |
| 9 | FK Riteriai | 35 | 6 | 7 | 22 | -37 | 25 |
| 10 | DFK Dainava Alytus | 35 | 3 | 8 | 24 | -49 | 17 |
Source: https://alyga.lt/rungtynes-gyvai/2025-07-19-zalgiris-dziugas/1957
