Lithuanian U-21 international Adrian Lickūnas made his official first-team debut for Cremonese in Serie B, but it proved to be a difficult evening as his side suffered a 3-0 home defeat against Modena.
The 20-year-old started on the right side of midfield in Cremonese’s second league match of the season and played the full 90 minutes. For Lickūnas, it was an important personal milestone after several years in Italian football.
The Lithuanian first arrived in Italy in 2022, joining the Perugia academy, before moving to Cremonese. He spent last season on loan with the club’s Primavera team before completing a permanent move this summer and earning his chance with the first team.
Cremonese, who were relegated from Serie A last season, had already started their return to the second tier with a narrow 0-1 away defeat against Empoli. Their search for a first goal and first point continued on Saturday, but Modena punished them heavily.
The visitors took control late in the first half, with Giacomo Olzer scoring twice in the final 15 minutes before the interval. Modena then added a third shortly after the restart, leaving Cremonese with too much to recover from.
For Cremonese, it was a second consecutive defeat without scoring to begin the Serie B season, but for Lickūnas the match still marked a significant step in his young career.
His next opportunity could come on Monday, when Cremonese travel to face Serie A side Parma in the Coppa Italia round of 16. In the league, they will look for their first goal, first points and first victory next Sunday, when they host Padova.
