Lithuania head coach Edgaras Jankauskas admitted a draw was a fair outcome after his side were held by Azerbaijan in their UEFA Nations League clash. Jankauskas praised his young team’s character despite frustration over avoidable errors.
Addressing the outcome, Jankauskas acknowledged that both sides created equal threat throughout the contest. “The most disappointing thing is that we failed to win. There were two teams of a similar level who posed the same amount of threat in turns, and it seems to me that the result of this match is logical,” Jankauskas said.
The national team featured a particularly young lineup with an average age of just 24 years, which the manager noted contributed to fluctuating performance levels. “Perhaps we are not very satisfied with the quality of our play because we can play better. There were too many errors that could have been avoided. The match was competitive and not the most pleasing to the eye, but the men showed character,” he added.
Jankauskas was also critical of defensive missteps and set-piece execution, pointing out that Lithuania failed to win a single corner kick. “The goal was rather cheap, probably only we concede goals like that,” he stated. Addressing the lack of attacking delivery, he added: “This part of the match did not work out, we delivered too few balls into the penalty box.”
The fixture saw Adrian Lickūnas make his first start for the national team, stepping into the lineup in place of defender Pijus Širvys, who missed out through injury and requires surgery. “He debuted very well. Of course, there was a bit of nervousness, but overall he looked solid. Adrian replaced Pijus well,” Jankauskas said of Lickūnas. Turning to Širvys, who arrived at camp with an existing issue, he explained: “Pijus suffered a rather serious injury, most likely it will not go without surgical intervention and he will be out for a longer time. Initially it seemed that it would not turn out this way, but unfortunately. He arrived at the national team already injured, tried to play, thought he would slide through, but the injury stopped him.” Lithuania return to action on Wednesday against Andorra at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium.
Source: https://11×11.lt/naujienos/jankauskas-po-dvikovos-su-azerbaidzanu-rezultatas-yra-desningas/
