Lithuanian champions FK Kauno Žalgiris finally brought an end to their lengthy winless run on Saturday, coming from behind to defeat direct rivals FK TransINVEST 2-1 away from home. Taking advantage of a late red card shown to the hosts, the visitors struck twice in the closing stages, with Renan Oliveira scoring the winner and netting his first goal in Lithuanian football since 2022 when he represented Vilnius Žalgiris.
The match was Kauno Žalgiris’ first since the dismissal of head coach Eivinas Černiauskas earlier this week. Assistant coach Algis Jankauskas took charge on an interim basis and made only two changes to the starting eleven, bringing Joris Moutachy back into the lineup and handing summer signing Renan Oliveira his first start after making his debut in last week’s defeat to Banga.
The hosts made the brighter start and immediately looked dangerous through a series of crosses and attacks down the flanks. Their pressure was rewarded in spectacular fashion in the 22nd minute through Japanese playmaker Hideyasu Tanaka.
Receiving a long pass on the left wing, the 22-year-old cut inside past his marker before unleashing a magnificent strike from around 25 metres into the top right corner, leaving Tomas Švedkauskas with no chance and giving TransINVEST a deserved 1-0 lead.
Kauno Žalgiris struggled to respond during the remainder of the first half. A few efforts from distance failed to seriously trouble the TransINVEST defence or goalkeeper, and the visitors went into the break trailing by a goal.
Knowing something had to change to end a run stretching back to April, Kauno Žalgiris emerged for the second half with far greater urgency. The champions pushed higher up the pitch and attempted to force an equaliser, but a disciplined and compact TransINVEST defence continued to frustrate them.
As the half progressed, it was actually the hosts who came closest to extending their lead. Within a matter of minutes, Mykola Musolitin was sent clean through on goal but dragged his first-time effort wide of the post. Shortly afterwards, following a corner kick, Iker Bilbao rattled the woodwork as TransINVEST narrowly missed the opportunity to double their advantage.
Those missed chances would ultimately prove costly. The turning point arrived in the 76th minute when Domantas Šluta was shown a straight red card for a reckless challenge. Chasing a long ball forward, the defender failed to reach the ball and instead caught Rokas Lekiatas high with a dangerous tackle. Lekiatas was unable to continue, while referee had little hesitation in producing the red card, leaving TransINVEST to play the closing stages with ten men.
Kauno Žalgiris immediately sensed their opportunity. Just a few minutes later, Argentine midfielder Franco Baldassarra found himself in the right place at the right time on the edge of the penalty area and drilled a low effort into the bottom corner to level the score at 1-1. The goal was Baldassarra’s first in the Lithuanian championship.
The champions completed the turnaround in the 90th minute. Following a corner kick, Renan Oliveira was all alone inside the penalty area and powered a header beyond the goalkeeper to spark celebrations among the travelling supporters.
For Oliveira, it was a memorable moment. The Brazilian scored his first goal in Lithuanian football since his spell with Vilnius Žalgiris in 2022, and his goal ended Kauno Žalgiris’ nine-match league winless streak that had stretched back to 11 April.
The victory lifts Kauno Žalgiris into second place in the Toplyga standings, moving above TransINVEST and to within a single point of surprise leaders Džiugas Telšiai.
Next up, TransINVEST travel to face FA Šiauliai, while Kauno Žalgiris head to Telšiai for a crucial clash against league leaders Džiugas.
FK TransINVEST vs FK Kauno Žalgiris – 1-2 (1-0)
Goals: Tanaka 22′ | Baldassarra 84′, Oliveira 90′
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Džiugas Telšiai |
18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 30 | 20 | 10 | 34 |
| 2 |  Kauno Žalgiris |
19 | 9 | 6 | 4 | 37 | 16 | 21 | 33 |
| 3 |  Transinvest |
18 | 9 | 4 | 5 | 32 | 21 | 11 | 31 |
| 4 |  FK Banga |
19 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 26 | 13 | 13 | 30 |
| 5 |  FK Sūduva |
18 | 7 | 8 | 3 | 25 | 14 | 11 | 29 |
| 6 |  FK Žalgiris |
19 | 8 | 4 | 7 | 27 | 23 | 4 | 28 |
| 7 |  FK Panevėžys |
18 | 6 | 3 | 9 | 18 | 32 | -14 | 21 |
| 8 |  FC Hegelmann |
18 | 3 | 10 | 5 | 19 | 26 | -7 | 19 |
| 9 |  FA Šiauliai |
19 | 3 | 8 | 8 | 20 | 32 | -12 | 17 |
| 10 |  FK Riteriai |
16 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 5 | 42 | -37 | 3 |
