Vilnius Žalgiris had to work hard for all three points in the 12th round of the Lithuanian Toplyga, eventually pulling away late to secure a 3-1 home victory over FA Šiauliai.
The first half offered few major chances for either side. Šiauliai came closest early on after a costly mistake in midfield allowed them to break forward, but Chidera Henry Nwoga was denied by Žalgiris goalkeeper Carlos Olses.
As the half progressed, the home side slowly gained more control and eventually found the breakthrough in the 41st minute. A well-worked positional attack ended with Klaudijus Upstas delivering a cross from the right wing, which centre-back Grigore Turda headed into the net to give Žalgiris the lead before halftime.
The hosts wasted little time doubling their advantage after the restart. In the 51st minute, Marko Capan’s corner kick was met perfectly by fellow central defender Petar Bosančic, who powered home a header to make it 2-0.
Despite the comfortable scoreline, Žalgiris allowed Šiauliai back into the match by giving away initiative and possession. The visitors were rewarded in the 64th minute when Rui Batalha’s dangerous cross was accidentally turned into his own net by Yury Kendysh, suddenly making the final stages tense for the hosts.
The return of Matas Vareika helped energise the Žalgiris attack again, and the home side began creating more dangerous opportunities. Several good chances went unfinished before the match was finally sealed deep into stoppage time.
With Šiauliai pushing forward in search of an equaliser, spaces opened up on the counterattack. Bryan Teixeira found Nikola Petkovic in the fourth minute of added time, and the Serbian forward calmly finished to secure the victory.
The win lifts Žalgiris up to fifth place in the standings with 18 points, while Šiauliai remain ninth with 11 points.
FK Žalgiris vs FA Šiauliai – 3-1 (1-0)
Goals: Turda 41′, Bosančic 50′, Petkovič 90+4′ | Kendysh 64′ (Own goal)
| # | Team | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kauno Žalgiris |
12 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 32 | 9 | 23 | 27 |
| 2 |  Transinvest |
12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 21 |
| 3 |  Džiugas Telšiai |
12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 13 | 4 | 21 |
| 4 |  FK Banga |
12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 9 | 9 | 18 |
| 5 |  FK Žalgiris |
12 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 18 | 13 | 5 | 18 |
| 6 |  FK Sūduva |
12 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 9 | 6 | 17 |
| 7 |  FK Panevėžys |
12 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 12 | 20 | -8 | 14 |
| 8 |  FC Hegelmann |
12 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 10 | 18 | -8 | 12 |
| 9 |  FA Šiauliai |
12 | 2 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 21 | -11 | 11 |
| 10 |  FK Riteriai |
12 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 33 | -30 | 3 |
Source: https://toplyga.lt/rungtynes/2026-05-06-zalgiris-siauliai/2100
