Armandas Kučys continued his impressive return from long-term injury, scoring twice in NK Celje’s 5-1 victory over Mura in the Slovenian top flight.
The 22-year-old forward, who will turn 23 later this month, made his first full appearance since recovering from a serious cruciate ligament injury. Celje were looking to respond after their previous league defeat to Olimpija Ljubljana, a result that ended an unbeaten run in the league stretching back to October.
Kučys opened his account early in the second half. In the 52nd minute, he found the net with a precise finish to make it 3-1. His fellow Lithuanian teammate, Artemijus Tutyškinas, came on at the start of the second half and also found the back of the net, but his goal was ruled out for offside following a VAR review.
Kučys sealed the result in stoppage time, scoring his second of the match to set the final score at 5-1. Since returning from injury, the striker has scored four goals in four league appearances, accumulating just 225 minutes on the pitch during that span.
Tutyškinas, meanwhile, made his 19th league appearance of the season for Celje.
With the win, Celje remain clear at the top of the table with 50 points from 22 matches, holding a 13-point advantage over second-placed Koper. Attention now turns to European competition, as Celje travel to Kosovo midweek for the first leg of their UEFA Conference League knockout tie against KF Drita.
