Dinamo Tbilisi’s extraordinary Conference League elimination against FK Žalgiris has been described as a “historic shame,” a “complete fiasco” and an “absolute catastrophe” by the Georgian sports media.
Žalgiris produced one of the most remarkable European comebacks in Lithuanian club football history on Thursday evening, defeating Dinamo Tbilisi 7-2 in Vilnius to advance 7-5 on aggregate.
Dinamo had travelled to Lithuania holding what appeared to be a commanding advantage after winning the opening match 3-0 in Tbilisi. That lead was not merely overturned but dismantled during a remarkable second half in which Žalgiris scored six times.
Stanislav Bilenkyi scored a hat-trick against his former club, while Nikola Petković struck twice. Bryan Teixeira and Nemanja Mihajlović completed the scoring for Žalgiris, with Léo Santos and Mate Vatsadze finding the net for Dinamo.
The scale and manner of the defeat prompted an uncompromising reaction in Georgia.
Sportall led its report with the headline: “Historic shame: Dinamo Tbilisi destroyed by Žalgiris and eliminated from the Conference League.”
The outlet recalled the defiant words attributed to Žalgiris president Andrius Tapinas following the first leg – that the Lithuanian side had nothing to lose and needed to “grab the opponent by the throat.”
Sportall’s verdict on what followed was succinct: “Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened”, using a well-picked title image to reinforce their message.
Its report described a Dinamo side unable to retain possession or escape its own defensive third once Žalgiris increased the pressure. The Georgian team were, it wrote, effectively “chained to their own penalty area” during the second half.
Even after Vatsadze scored to reduce the deficit to 3–2 on the night, Dinamo remained two goals ahead on aggregate with fewer than 20 minutes remaining. Instead of protecting that advantage, however, they conceded four more times.
CrystalSport used similarly severe language, leading with: “A complete fiasco in Vilnius: Dinamo Tbilisi lose 2-7 to Žalgiris and are eliminated.”
The outlet identified the three-minute period immediately before and after the hour mark as the moment when the match changed. Petković made it 2–1 in the 59th minute before Teixeira capitalised on what the report called a “gross error” by the Dinamo defence two minutes later.
CrystalSport wrote that Žalgiris then established an overwhelming advantage and took control of the contest. Vatsadze’s long-range goal briefly restored Dinamo’s cushion, but Petković replied almost immediately.
Bilenkyi’s second goal levelled the aggregate score before Mihajlović put Žalgiris ahead in the tie. Bilenkyi then completed his hat-trick in the final minute to turn an extraordinary comeback into a rout.
WorldSport’s headline concentrated on the almost incomprehensible sequence of events: “Six goals conceded in one half and 2–7 after leading 3–0: Dinamo’s catastrophe.”
Its report began: “We do not know what this can be called.”
WorldSport noted that Dinamo had appeared to survive the most dangerous stage of the match after Santos equalised before half-time. Žalgiris still required four further goals to win the tie at that point, while the visitors had also gained an away goal and restored their three-goal aggregate advantage.
The article nevertheless warned that, where Georgian clubs are concerned, “apparently nothing can ever be ruled out.”
After describing the sequence of late goals, WorldSport delivered its final assessment: “It is difficult to find the words. This is an absolute catastrophe and collapse.”
The outlet also compared the result with Dinamo’s 2003 Champions League elimination against Tirana. On that occasion, the Georgian side won the home leg 3–0 before losing by the same score in Albania and going out on penalties.
Against Žalgiris, WorldSport observed, penalties were not required.
Georgia’s GHN news agency adopted a considerably more restrained approach, reporting that Dinamo had lost 7-2 and exited the Conference League despite winning the first match 3-0.
Its account nevertheless underlined the scale of the second-half collapse: six Žalgiris goals after the interval turned a seemingly secure Dinamo position into a 7-5 aggregate defeat.
The central theme was not that Žalgiris had produced an unexpected victory but that Dinamo had allowed an apparently decisive advantage to disintegrate. Even at 3-2 on the night, the Georgian side remained 5-3 ahead on aggregate. Over the final 16 minutes, including stoppage time, Žalgiris scored four unanswered goals to turn the tie around.
Having progressed to the third qualifying round of the Conference League, Žalgiris will next face Croatian giants Hajduk Split in Vilnius on 6th of August.
