Enjoy the atmosphere, test themselves against a higher level and prepare for the UEFA Conference League. That will be the mission for Kauno Žalgiris on Thursday evening as they host Turkish giants Beşiktaş in the second leg of their UEFA Europa League play-off tie at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas. Kick-off is scheduled for 20:00 local time.
The Lithuanian champions gained valuable experience in Istanbul last week, but were ultimately beaten 0-3 by a Besiktas side operating on a different level. The hosts were already two goals ahead after just 12 minutes, with Oh Hyeon-gyu and Michael Murillo both finding the net, before Turkish midfielder Orkun Kokcu added a third from the penalty spot in the second half.
After the match, Kauno Žalgiris head coach Željko Sopic admitted that the difference in level between the two teams was clear, but also emphasized that he was proud of the way his players competed against one of Turkey’s biggest clubs.
Kauno Žalgiris come into the return leg without having played in the league at the weekend, meaning their last competitive match was the defeat in Istanbul. However, Sopic has already warned about the demanding schedule ahead. Before the international break, his side are set to play every three or four days, with eight matches in 24 days as they continue their fight to defend the Lithuanian league title and compete in the Lithuanian Cup.
The Kaunas club have already secured a place in the UEFA Conference League league phase, becoming only the second Lithuanian club after Žalgiris Vilnius to reach the main stage of a European competition. Even with the tie heavily tilted in Besiktas’s favour, Sopic has insisted that his players will still give everything and try to show their best football in front of their home supporters.
Kauno Žalgiris have already enjoyed a historic European campaign this season. They defeated Drita and Faroese champions KI Klaksvik in Champions League qualifying to guarantee at least Conference League football, before their Champions League run ended against Dinamo Zagreb in the third qualifying round. The Croatian side were yesterday eliminated by Norwegian club Viking and also missed out on the Champions League league phase.
The match inside the Darius and Girenas stadium in Kaunas will start at 20:00 local time.
