In the opening match of the 2026 Toplyga season, held at Vilnius’ Sportima Arena, FK Žalgiris Vilnius suffered a surprising defeat to Džiugas Telšiai.
The opening game of the Toplyga season showcased a matchup between last season’s third and seventh-place finishers.
Due to unsuitable training conditions in Telšiai ahead of the season, Andrius Lipskis’ squad relocated their preparations to Vilnius’ Sportima Arena, where they have been training since Wednesday to be ready for today’s game.
The Vilnius side, meanwhile, conducted their entire pre-season at Sportima and faced no particular difficulties in their preparations for the 2026 campaign.
FK Žalgiris Vilnius named four new faces in their starting XI, while Džiugas Telšiai fielded just two players who were not part of last season’s squad.
Even before kickoff, it was clear the match was a sell-out, as noted by commentator Karolis Tretjakas. Both the FK Žalgiris Vilnius ultras and the Džiugas Telšiai supporters were clearly visible, adding to the atmosphere and enhancing the overall matchday experience.
The opening twenty minutes were defined more by a flurry of offside calls than genuine scoring chances, with the majority going against FK Žalgiris Vilnius.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 24th minute when a penalty was awarded. A superb through ball from Giedrius Matulevičius released Liviu Antal inside the box. Antal shifted the ball to his right, drawing contact from the Džiugas Telšiai goalkeeper, Marius Paukštė.
The Romanian striker converted the penalty with composure, scoring the first goal of the 2026 Toplyga season. This also marked Liviu Antal’s tenth consecutive official match on the scoresheet dating back to last season.
However, the equaliser arrived in the 40th minute. A precise cross from the left flank found Denys Bunchukov, and the Džiugas Telšiai number eight finished confidently to score the first goal of Telšiai’s season.
In the 61st minute, FK Žalgiris Vilnius left-back Saba Mamatsashvili unleashed a thunderous left-footed strike from outside the box, only to be denied by the crossbar. Liviu Antal reacted quickest to the rebound, but his header drifted off target.
The 79th minute proved a memorable one for Nikola Petković. The Serbian forward, who had spent almost the entirety of last season sidelined with a serious injury, scored the third goal of the match in just his second official appearance since returning from his long absence.
As the game approached its final stages, Y. Kendysh handled the ball in the box. After a VAR review, referee Donatas Rumšas awarded a penalty.
Finally, although I. Cissé initially missed the penalty, he calmly converted the rebound to level the score in the 89th minute.
A stunning turnaround came in the 95th minute, when Ronald Sobowale went one-on-one with the FK Žalgiris Vilnius goalkeeper and calmly slotted home the winning goal.
The match ended in a surprising victory for Džiugas Telšiai, marking a disappointing start to the season for FK Žalgiris.
FK Žalgiris vs Džiugas Telšiai – 2:3 (1:1)
Goals: L.Antal 24′ (ŽAL) | D.Bunchukov 40′ (TEL) | N.Petkovic 79′ (ŽAL) | I.Cisse 89′ (TEL) | R.Sobowale 90+5′ (TEL)
ŽAL: C.Olses, S.Mamatsashvili, G.Turda, Y.Kendysh, K.Upstas, O.Verbickas, G.Matulevičius, P.Golubickas, N.Mihajlovic (B.Teixeira 65′), G.Jarusevičius (N.Petkovic 65′), L.Antal (D.Šešplaukis 79′)
TEL: M.Paukštė, D.Aleksa (P.Bahia 65′), L.Ankudinovas (T.Stelmokas 90′), D.Bunchukov (G.Romano 90′), I.Cisse, V.Piliukaitis (N.Vosylius 78′), B.Sane, R.Sobowale, V.Vermeulen, J.Wawszczyk, D.Ževžikovas (D.Vinckus 78′)
# Team P W D L
GF GA GD Pts
1
Džiugas Telšiai1
1
0
0
3
2
1
3
2
FA Šiauliai0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
FK Sūduva0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4
Banga Gargzdai0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
FK Riteriai0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
6
FK Panevėžys0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
7
FC Hegelmann0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
Kauno Žalgiris0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
9
Transinvest0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
10
FK Žalgiris1
0
0
1
2
3
-1
0
