In the 13th round of the TOPsport A Lyga, DFK Dainava Alytus finally ended their losing streak with a resilient 1-1 draw away against defending champions FK Žalgiris, who continue to struggle this season.
Earlier this season, the two sides met in a nail-biting clash on March 30, when Žalgiris escaped with a last-gasp 1-0 victory thanks to Yuri Kendysh’s dramatic 90+9-minute winner — a result that now looks like an early warning sign for the champions’ disappointing run that followed. Žalgiris’ recent form has been patchy, suffering a heavy 0-3 derby defeat to FK Kauno Žalgiris in their previous league outing. Meanwhile, Dainava, missing their top scorer Davor Rakič due to suspension, were coming off a third consecutive loss after a 0-3 home defeat to Sūduva.
The first half was closely contested, but it was the visitors who struck first. In the 37th minute, following a throw-in, the ball fortuitously bounced to Ukrainian forward Artiom Baftalovski, who headed it powerfully into the net, giving Dainava the lead going into halftime.
After the break, Žalgiris took control and pushed for an equalizer. However, their task became significantly harder when Thomas Basila was shown a red card in the 66th minute for unsporting behavior, reducing the hosts to ten men.
Just five minutes later, two substitutes combined to level the score. Kajus Bička delivered a sharp, precise pass into the penalty area, where Giedrius Matulevičius, who netted 11 times last season in the league but has battled injuries this year, marked his long-awaited first goal of the campaign as he broke free from his marker and calmly finished to restore parity.
Despite Žalgiris’ repeated threatening attacks in the remaining minutes, Dainava’s committed and disciplined defensive effort ensured they secured a valuable point on the road.
This hard-fought draw marks a positive turning point for Dainava, while Žalgiris will need to regroup and rediscover their winning form if they hope to challenge for the title.
FK Žalgiris vs DFK Dainava Alytus – 1:1 (0:1)
Goals: Matulevičius 70′ | Baftalovskyi 37′
ŽAL: Olses, Moutachy, Basila, Kendysh, Tavares, Verbickas, Ofori, Jarusevičius (Mitulevičius 46′), Setkus, Henrique (Chol 77′), Hadji (Mihajlovic 63′)
DAI: Mickevičius, Zabita (Chikovani 79′), Maksymenko, Paliusis, Stočkunas, Oostenbrink, Koshkosh, Baftalovskyi (Lukošiunas 87′), Pavlovski, Zevžikovas (Banevičius 79′), Okoniewski
A Lyga Matchday 13 games:
- 23.05.2025 – FK Banga Gargždai vs FK Paņevežys – 1:1
- 23.05.2025 – FK Kauno Žalgiris vs FA Šiauliai – 3:0
- 24.05.2025 – FK Riteriai vs FC Hegelmann – 2:4
- 25.05.2025 – FK Žalgiris vs DFK Dainava Alytus – 1:1
- 25.05.2025 – FC Džiugas Telšiai vs FK Sūduva – 19:00
| # | Club | GP | W | D | L | GD | Pts |
| 1 | Kauno Žalgiris | 14 | 9 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 30 |
| 2 | Hegelmann FC | 14 | 10 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 30 |
| 3 | FK Sūduva | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 28 |
| 4 | FA Šiauliai | 14 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 24 |
| 5 | FC Džiugas Telšiai | 14 | 6 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 20 |
| 6 | FK Panevėžys | 14 | 5 | 3 | 6 | 2 | 18 |
| 7 | FK Žalgiris | 14 | 4 | 5 | 5 | -2 | 17 |
| 8 | FK Banga Gargždai | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | -5 | 15 |
| 9 | FK Riteriai | 14 | 2 | 4 | 8 | -11 | 10 |
| 10 | DFK Dainava Alytus | 14 | 0 | 3 | 11 | -20 | 3 |
