FK Žalgiris Vilnius celebrated Ukrainian Independence Day in fitting fashion on Sunday evening, as goals from Ukrainian duo Ivan Lytvynenko and Stanislav Bilenkyi secured a 2-0 victory over Džiugas Telšiai in the final match of the 28th Toplyga.
Ahead of Ukraine’s Independence Day on Monday, the Vilnius club dedicated the fixture to Ukraine in a special show of solidarity. Both teams wore armbands in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, while the Ukrainian national anthem was played before kick-off.
Despite the emotional occasion, both sides quickly turned their attention to the football. Each team had a goal ruled out for offside during an entertaining first half, while both goalkeepers were called into action. Žalgiris keeper Vincentas Šarkauskas denied Brazilian forward Andrezinho with an excellent save, before Džiugas goalkeeper Marius Paukštė kept out a dangerous Matas Vareika effort with his legs.
As the half progressed, the hosts gradually increased the pressure. Paulius Golubickas delivered several dangerous crosses into the penalty area, but neither Nikola Petković nor Yury Kendysh could direct their headers on target. Kendysh also had another excellent opportunity before the interval after receiving the ball inside the box, only to fire wide with his stronger right foot.
The visitors made the brighter start after the restart. Šarkauskas produced another outstanding save to keep out Pedro Bahia’s powerful long-range free-kick, before Andrezinho rattled the crossbar moments later.
Those missed chances proved costly in the 59th minute. Ukrainian midfielder Ivan Lytvynenko received the ball inside the penalty area, shifted it beyond his defender with a clever touch and calmly beat Paukštė to give Žalgiris a deserved 1-0 lead.
A worrying incident briefly interrupted the match in the 68th minute when Žalgiris forward Matas Vareika and Džiugas defender Bacary Sane collided while challenging for the ball. The Senegalese defender remained conscious but required medical attention before being taken off the pitch in an ambulance as a precaution.
Džiugas’ hopes of mounting a comeback suffered another major blow late in the match when Dutch defender Valentino Vermeulen received a second yellow card. After his dismissal, Vermeulen sarcastically patted the referee on the shoulder, an incident that could now lead to further disciplinary action.
Žalgiris sealed the victory five minutes into stoppage time through another Ukrainian goalscorer. Stanislav Bilenkyi drove into the penalty area before drilling a precise finish into the bottom corner to complete a 2-0 victory.
The win moves Žalgiris level on 37 points with both Džiugas Telšiai and Banga Gargždai, with the three clubs now occupying third through fifth place in the Toplyga standings.
FK Žalgiris Vilnius vs FC Džiugas Telšiai – 2-0 (0-0)
Goals: Lytvynenko 59′, Bilenkyi 90+5′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  FK Sūduva |
23 | 11 | 9 | 3 | 33 | 17 | 16 | 42 |
| 2 |  Kauno Žalgiris |
22 | 10 | 8 | 4 | 41 | 16 | 25 | 38 |
| 3 |  FK Žalgiris |
23 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 37 | 27 | 10 | 37 |
| 4 |  FK Banga |
24 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 29 | 22 | 7 | 37 |
| 5 |  Džiugas Telšiai |
25 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 34 | 31 | 3 | 37 |
| 6 |  Transinvest |
24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 33 | 32 | 1 | 36 |
| 7 |  FC Hegelmann |
25 | 4 | 11 | 10 | 27 | 42 | -15 | 23 |
| 8 |  FK Panevėžys |
24 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 21 | 41 | -20 | 23 |
| 9 |  FA Šiauliai |
24 | 3 | 7 | 14 | 23 | 50 | -27 | 16 |
