Lithuania celebrated its first victory of this summer’s European campaign as FK Žalgiris Vilnius produced an impressive away performance to defeat Montenegrin side Petrovac 3-1 in the first leg of their UEFA Conference League first qualifying round tie.
A brace from Serbian striker Nikola Petkovic and a late goal from substitute Stanislav Bilenkyi handed the Vilnius side a two-goal cushion ahead of next week’s return leg in the Lithuanian capital.
Despite playing away from home, Žalgiris settled into the match quickly and almost immediately took control of proceedings. Their first warning came from a corner, with Yury Kendysh heading narrowly wide after a delivery from Paulius Golubickas.
The breakthrough arrived in the 18th minute. Bryan Teixeira led a swift counterattack before delivering a low cross into the penalty area, where Petkovic arrived at the perfect moment to finish first time and give the visitors a deserved 1-0 lead.
However, Petrovac responded with virtually their first meaningful opportunity of the evening. In the 27th minute, Nemanja Carevic unleashed a powerful long-range effort that flew beyond Vincentas Šarkauskas to level the score at 1-1. It was the Montenegrin side’s first shot on target of the match.
The equaliser did little to change the flow of the contest. Žalgiris continued to dominate possession and create the better opportunities, while Petrovac largely relied on isolated counterattacks. The visitors entered half-time frustrated that their superiority had not translated into a greater advantage on the scoreboard.
The Lithuanian side finally regained control shortly after the restart. After Dovydas Šešplaukis had an effort blocked and the visitors continued to pile on the pressure, Petkovic once again produced a moment of quality in the 58th minute. The Serbian forward collected the ball outside the penalty area before unleashing a stunning long-range strike that left the goalkeeper helpless and restored Žalgiris’ lead.
With their lead restored, Žalgiris never looked back. The visitors remained firmly in control throughout the second half. The only moment of concern arrived midway through the half when Yury Kendysh inadvertently diverted the ball onto his own crossbar, while goalkeeper Vincentas Šarkauskas required medical attention after injuring his hand during the same sequence.
Petrovac struggled to build sustained pressure, and their hopes of taking a positive result into the second leg were effectively ended three minutes from time.
In the 87th minute, Stanislav Bilenkyi calmly finished to make it 3-1, capping an excellent evening for the Lithuanian side and silencing the home supporters.
With several hundred Žalgiris supporters making the trip to back their side, Žalgiris took a huge step towards second qualifying round where the winner of Georgian Dinamo Tbilisi and Luxembourg Mondorf-les-Bains will be. Georgian won the first leg match 2-1.
Petrovac vs Žalgiris Vilnius – 1-3 (1-1)
Goals: Carevic 27′ | Petkovic 18′ 58′, Bilenkyi 87′
