Baltic Power Rankings after GW15: Šiauliai break into the Top 15 as ‘sub-500’ clubs grows to six

As the Baltic football season edges past the halfway point, clear patterns are beginning to emerge in the Power Rankings.

The Top 5 remained unchanged for weeks—until Kauno Žalgiris shook things up in GW14. With a string of outstanding performances, they displaced Estonian champions Levadia to break into the elite. They held onto their position in GW15, despite a goalless draw with Sūduva. While 0-0 may not excite the crowds, it proved beneficial for both clubs in terms of coefficients—Sūduva even climbed to 9th place.

Nõmme Kalju, the fan-favorite risers of recent rounds, remain in 13th. But with Hegelmann dropping points to Dainava—the only winless side in the Baltics—the gap to 12th has narrowed to just 25 points. If Kalju can bridge that distance (no easy task against Hegelmann), the door to the Top 10 could swing open for the pink-blacks.

The biggest storyline of GW15 belongs to FA Šiauliai. They began the season with a new coach, a heavily reshaped squad, and a spot in 19th, falling to 22nd by GW3. But their A Lyga campaign has gained traction, and they’ve now surged to 15th, overtaking Estonian Narva Trans. Interestingly, both clubs have followed similar upward arcs—except Narva avoided an early collapse and climbed steadily. Šiauliai now sit 20 points behind struggling Daugavpils from Latvia and just 4 ahead of Narva, setting the stage for a tight race in the weeks ahead.

Elsewhere, Latvia’s SK Super Nova climbed back to 19th—their best standing since GW6. Yet, having started the season in 17th, they still have ground to recover. At the bottom of the table, Tallinna Kalev remain anchored in last place, but FK Riteriai are closing in fast, slipping three spots from 26th to 29th.

Notably, the group of clubs with fewer than 500 coefficient points—once limited to two or three sides—has now grown to six: FC Kuressaare, Tammeka Tartu, DFK Dainava Alytus, Harju JK, FK Riteriai, and Tallinna Kalev. This signals a growing divide between the top and bottom tiers in each Baltic league. In Lithuania, the gap between first and last place stands at 27 points; in Latvia, it’s 31; and in Estonia, 28. With more than half the season still ahead, these are stark margins—and their impact is now clearly visible in the Power Rankings.

All rankings after GW15 include results from the pan-Baltic friendlies played during the June international break.