On Monday evening at Vilnius’ Sportima arena, the final match of the opening Toplyga round delivered late drama as defending champions Kauno Žalgiris thanks to stoppage time goal beat Riteriai 2-1 – and afterwards head coach Eivinas Černiauskas shared his thoughts with Baltic Football News following the dramatic comeback victory.
The hosts produced an eye-catching and courageous performance for much of the contest. After Meinardas Mikulėnas put Riteriai ahead in the first half, the Vilnius side looked confident and well-organised against one of the league’s main favourites. However, their resistance collapsed late in the second half, allowing the visitors from Kaunas to complete a comeback.
Georgian centre-back Anton Tolordava equalised with a powerful header before Latvian forward Dāvis Ikaunieks, who returned to Lithuania this winter from FC RFS, struck the decisive goal in stoppage time.
A key turning point came when Riteriai midfielder Jonas Usavičius received his second yellow card in the second half, reducing the home side to ten men. The numerical disadvantage proved costly as Kauno Žalgiris increased the pressure and eventually broke through.
Despite the defeat, Riteriai showed bravery from the opening whistle and demonstrated they are capable of competing with the league’s strongest sides.
After the match, Kauno Žalgiris manager Eivinas Černiauskas talking with Baltic Football News reflected positively on their hard-fought victory.
“We feel very good psychologically after this game,” the manager stated. “Through collective effort we fought until the end, attacked persistently and, most importantly, showed the character of champions to secure three points.”
Černiauskas acknowledged that the start of the season is always demanding, with teams still fine-tuning their physical and tactical readiness. The opening round clearly showed there are no easy matches in Toplyga
Asked whether Riteriai had surprised them, the response was firm.
“No, because we prepared for their low block and counter-attacks. It’s unfortunate that we couldn’t defend one of those situations properly, even though we were ready for it.”
On whether the red card or their own quality proved decisive, Kauno Žalgiris pointed to their overall dominance.
“I believe we had clear control throughout the match. They defended admirably, and their goalkeeper Simone Moschin had a very solid game, stopping several good chances. In the end, our players did the job we came here to do.”
As for leadership within the squad this season, the champions emphasised collective responsibility.
“We have many leaders in this team. Today the game didn’t flow perfectly, but Tolordava stepped up as a leader. In the next match it may be someone else. We have quality players who all contribute. The players who joined us this winter are well known in Lithuania and understand the league, so adaptation should not take long.”
Tactically, Kauno Žalgiris do not intend to reinvent themselves. “We prepare specific adjustments for every opponent, but our overall style and football identity will remain the same.”
The ambitions, meanwhile, remain crystal clear. “We will continue what we started and aim to defend our title. There are no other questions domestically – we want to win the league again. In Europe, we will try to go as far as possible and stay there as long as we can.”
FK Kauno Žalgiris will continue their league season this Saturday when they will host FK Banga Gargždai in Marijampole.
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