After an evenly contested match, the Lithuanian national team drew 0:0 with Israel in a friendly played behind closed doors at the Darius and Girėnas Stadium due to security concerns.
Prior to kickoff, pro-Palestinian protesters in Kaunas voiced opposition to Israel’s participation in the match.
The game also marked a milestone, with Fedor Černych making his 102nd appearance for Lithuania to become the nation’s most capped player.
The opening twenty minutes saw Israel enjoy a slight edge in possession, though they rarely posed a real threat to Lithuania’s goalkeeper, Tomas Švedkauskas.
Lithuania created the first clear opportunity in the 22nd minute. Tomas Kalinauskas made a driving run down the left flank before being challenged by his marker, but the referee chose not to award a foul. The loose ball fell to Torino midfielder Gvidas Gineitis, who, from just outside the penalty area, fired his shot wide to the right.
Overall, the first half was encouraging from Lithuania’s perspective. The team appeared well-organized, showing creativity in attack and composure in defense. At times, they pressed surprisingly high, winning the ball back in the opponent’s half.
Despite Israel’s higher FIFA ranking (78th), Lithuania showed no signs of intimidation and appeared to be on equal footing with their opponents.
In the 69th minute, Motiejus Burba came onto the pitch, marking his debut for the national team. Not long ago, the 22-year-old winger was playing in Lithuania’s second division. However, following Rolandas Džiaukštas’s appointment at Žalgiris Vilnius, Burba earned a place in the first team, and ultimately, his first cap for his country.
After Burba’s introduction, Israel created several promising opportunities, but their efforts were either off target or denied by Džiugas Bartkus, who had replaced Tomas Švedkauskas at the start of the second half.
Edgaras Dubickas also had an excellent opportunity following a defensive error by Israel in the 75th minute, but his effort was denied by goalkeeper Omri Glazer.
In the 81st minute, Gvidas Gineitis struck a powerful free-kick from a tight angle on the left, forcing a strong save from the goalkeeper.
Much like the first half, the second period saw both sides create chances, but Lithuania never appeared the weaker team. Edgaras Jankauskas’ men even finished with three shots on target compared to Israel’s two.
Lithuania will take on the Netherlands in Amsterdam on November 17, in their final match of the 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Lithuania vs Israel – 0:0 (0:0)
LT: T.Švedkauskas (D.Bartkus 46′), P.Širvys, V.Armalas, E.Utkus, A.Tutyškinas, J.Lasickas (M.Beneta 60′), P.Golubickas (M.Burba 69′), G.Sirgėdas (M.Vorobjovas 46′), G.Gineitis, F.Černych (E.Dubickas 60′), T.Kalinauskas (D.Šimkus 90′)
ISR: O.Glazer, D.Biton (D.Peretz 65′), G.Mizrahi (E.Dasa 78′), S.Lemkin, O.Blorian, R.Revivo (D.Gropper 83′), G.Kanichowsky, O.Gloukh (A.C. Ganah 78′), E.Peretz, Y.Shua (S.Turiel 65′), D.Turgeman (I.Toklomati 78′)
