After a closely contested first half, FK Žalgiris Vilnius took control after the break, with all three goals coming in the second half, to secure a 2-1 victory and book their place in the second qualifying round of the UEFA Conference League.
A few surprises were evident in FK Žalgiris’ starting XI. Up front, Gustas Jarusevičius was an unexpected inclusion, having played just 261 minutes in the TOPLYGA this season. Meanwhile, Ukrainian newcomer Ivan Lytvynenko, who had made only two appearances since joining the club, was also handed a place in the starting lineup by Andrius Skerla.
Although the opening 25 minutes were relatively uneventful, FK Žalgiris still managed to register six attempts on goal while maintaining a consistent presence in the opposition’s penalty area.
The Vilnius-based side thought they had broken the deadlock in the 27th minute when Gustas Jarusevičius found the back of the net. However, the goal was quickly ruled out for offside, much to no one’s surprise.
By the time the half-time whistle blew, the score remained unchanged. It had been a largely quiet first half, with FK Žalgiris enjoying a domination in both possession and attacking intent.
The second half did not begin well for the Lithuanian capital club. OFK Petrovac created several dangerous opportunities, with a series of threatening set-pieces putting both the FK Žalgiris defence and the home supporters on edge.
However, in the 59th minute, the hosts were awarded a penalty after the ball struck an opponent’s hand inside the box. Nikola Petković calmly stepped up and converted the spot-kick, placing his effort into the right corner to break the deadlock.
In the 69th minute, the stadium announcer revealed an impressive attendance of 5,067 spectators.
FK Žalgiris doubled their lead in the 75th minute. Just moments after coming off the bench, Nemanja Mihajlović produced a moment of brilliance. The Serbian burst down the left flank before firing a precise shot into the far-right corner. The goalkeeper was rooted to the spot and could only watch as the ball found the back of the net.
OFK Petrovac did manage to pull one back in the 87th minute. Following a pass into the penalty area, the Žalgiris defence failed to deal with the danger, allowing Trimror Selimi to find space and score the third goal of the match.
FK Žalgiris Vilnius vs OFK Petrovac – 2:1 (0:0)
Goals: N.Petkovic (ŽAL) 60′ | N.Mihajlovic (ŽAL) 75′ | T.Selimi (PET) 87′
ŽAL: V.Šarkausas, D.Šešplaukis, D.Lupano, P.Bošančič, D.Franke (S.Mamatsashvili 79′), I.Lytvynenko (M.Capan 65′), Y.Kendysh, G.Jarusevičius (N.Mihajlovic 72′), S.Bilenkyi (L.Antal 79′), P.Golubickas, N.Petkovic (M.Vareika 65′)
PET: M.Kordic, D.Boljevic, M.Merdovic, A.Kapisoda, D.Miranovic (D.Pesukic 62′), D.Bakic (Z.Divanovic 62′), N.Carevic (D.Fabris 81′), S.Arambasic, N.Janjic (V.Strikovic 46′), T.Selimi, I.Vukcevic (S.Ficovic 70′)
