Today at 18:45 Baltic time, the Lithuanian national team will host the Finnish national team in their second match of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas. The Lithuanians will look for their first win in this campaign and end the eight-game losing streak.
Both teams began the qualifiers on Friday with different results. Lithuania suffered a heartbreaking 0-1 defeat against Poland due to a late goal from Robert Lewandowski, while Finland won a challenging match in Malta, clinching a 1-0 victory with a goal from Oliver Antman.
Historically, Lithuania and Finland have rarely faced each other; three of their five matches took place in the 1930s. The last encounter was in 2014 during the Baltic Cup, where Finland defeated Lithuania 1-0.
Manager Edgaras Jankauskas addressed the media at a press conference yesterday regarding his team’s physical readiness for the second match in three days. He stated, “We are two days after the match, and of course, the effects are still felt; the muscles are not fully recovered. However, we have proven that the second match can sometimes be even better than the first in terms of physicality. Most of our players play abroad and are accustomed to competing twice a week. We view this completely differently; it is no longer a primary concern. Recovery is essential, and players have their routines. We have good conditions for recovery, along with an excellent medical staff.”
Jankauskas noted that the Finnish team may have felt fatigued after their first match, where they won narrowly against Malta. “We analyzed our opponent based on that one match because they have a new coach, and it was his first game. Although it may not have been very successful, a victory is what counts,” he said.
He also acknowledged that, while they see areas to exploit, they recognize that teams often strive to fix their mistakes after a poor performance. “We have a good picture of them: a solid, experienced team with robust physicality and Champions League experience. They aren’t fielding many young players, so we can expect a tough match,” Jankauskas added.
Lithuanian defender Kipras Kažukovolas, who played the entire match against Poland and currently plays for FC Astana in Kazakhstan, mentioned that the team learned valuable lessons from their defeat in Warsaw and is looking forward to upcoming matches. “We took some good lessons from the experience. We analyzed our performance, and while we lost, we played well and had good organization. We’re already focusing on the future,” he said.
A large turnout of fans is expected for today’s match, demonstrating their belief in the team’s efforts. Kažukovolas expressed gratitude for this support: “Not only from the Polish match but also over the past two years, we have shown that we can play well. While results were lacking, people appreciated our work, and it’s not just because of the Polish match. We must thank them for their support, and we will give everything we can in return.”
Lithuanians today will look to end the eight-game losing streak. Their last win was in the June of 2024 in the Baltic Cup against Latvia 2-0.
Full national team squad for the matches against Poland and Finland:
Goalkeepers:
Edvinas Gertmonas (FC Universitatea Cluj, Romania),
Marius Adamonis (FC Sudtirol, Italy),
Mantas Bertašius (FK Banga).
Defenders:
Edvinas Girdvainis (SV Sandhausen, Germany),
Kipras Kažukolovas (FC Astana, Kazakhstan),
Klaudijus Upstas (FC Hegelmann),
Pijus Širvys (NK Maribor, Slovenia),
Artemijus Tutyškinas (NK Celje, Slovenia),
Dominykas Barauskas (Gornik Leczna, Poland),
Justas Lasickas (NK Olimpija Ljubljana, Slovenia),
Edgaras Utkus (Cercle Brugge, Belgium).
Midfielders:
Giedrius Matulevičius (FK Žalgiris Vilnius),
Matas Vareika (FC Pyunik, Armenia),
Domantas Antanavičius (FC Hegelmann),
Titas Milašius (MKP Pogon Siedlce, Poland),
Artūr Dolžnikov (SK Sigma Olomouc, Czech Republic),
Fedor Černych (FK Kauno Žalgiris),
Paulius Golubickas (Radomiak Radom, Poland),
Gvidas Gineitis (Torino FC, Italy),
Matijus Remeikis (Botev Plovdiv, Bulgaria).
Forwards:
Gytis Paulauskas (FC Dinamo Batumi, Georgia),
Armandas Kučys (NK Celje, Slovenia),
Manfredas Ruzgis (KF Vora, Albania)