Lithuanian international defender Kipras Kažukolovas and his club FC Astana saw their UEFA Conference League campaign come to an end following a 0:2 home defeat to Swiss side Lausanne, leaving the two-leg tie at 1:5 in favor of the visitors.
The 24-year-old defender started once again in the lineup, hoping to help his team overturn the deficit from last week’s first-leg loss in Switzerland, where Astana fell 1:3. Despite scoring a late goal in that match to reduce the deficit, the Lithuanians’ chances of a comeback looked slim heading into the second leg.
The match itself offered little hope. After a goalless first half, Lausanne struck early in the second half through Beyatt Lekoueiry. Eighteen minutes later, 19-year-old Malian midfielder Gaoussou Diakité doubled the advantage, effectively ending Astana’s hopes of progressing.
Although Astana controlled possession for much of the game, they were unable to break down the Swiss defense. Kažukolovas played the full 90 minutes as the team bowed out of European competition.
With European football behind them, the focus now shifts back to the domestic league, where Kažukolovas and Astana will continue their fight for the Kazakh championship title. Their next league match comes in three days, hosting Ulytau.
