Kauno Žalgiris vs. Beşiktaş – News and Probable Lineups

Kauno Zalgiris will face Besiktas at Dariaus and Gireno Stadium this Thursday for the second leg of their UEFA Europa League playoff tie, with the Turkish team enjoying a strong 3-0 advantage from last week’s first leg in Istanbul.

The Lithuanian champions will need an extraordinary turnaround to keep their Europa League ambitions alive, while the visitors can approach this match with more caution, being just one step away from the group stage.

Match overview

Kauno Zalgiris is faced with a considerable challenge following their 3-0 loss in Istanbul, a result that highlighted the gap in European experience and individual talent between the two teams.

Besiktas seized control early on, with Hyeon-gyu Oh scoring in the sixth minute, followed by Amir Murillo extending the lead just six minutes later. Orkun Kokcu then converted a penalty shortly before the hour mark after Oh was fouled, leaving Kauno with a daunting task ahead of the second leg.

Zeljko Sopic’s side has had a decent domestic season so far, sitting third in the A Lyga, four points behind the leaders Suduva, who have one more game played; however, they were held to a 1-1 draw by Transinvest in their last league match.

The Lithuanian champions have had a full week to prepare for Thursday’s fixture, but their recent European outings offer little optimism regarding their chances of overcoming such a deficit.

Earlier this summer, Kauno experienced a heavy 5-0 defeat against Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg of their Champions League qualifying round, before losing 2-1 in the second match, resulting in a 7-1 aggregate loss.

Sopic will require a vastly improved performance from his squad if they are to apply real pressure on Besiktas.

Conversely, the visitors arrive in Lithuania with their primary goal already secured.

Besiktas’ 3-0 win in the first leg was their most convincing attacking display of the season, and it marked their first occasion of scoring three goals in a competitive outing this term.

This victory also allowed them to extend their impressive streak to six consecutive clean sheets across all competitions, though that impressive run was halted over the weekend when Vincenzo Italiano’s side lost 1-0 to Alanyaspor.

That loss might provide a glimmer of hope for Kauno, but Besiktas still remains the overwhelming favourites to advance given their three-goal lead and deeper squad depth.

Italiano also has the luxury of squad rotation, allowing the Black Eagles to rest key players while still fielding a strong lineup to prevent the hosts from building any real momentum.

Team News

As they approach the second leg, Kauno Zalgiris has no significant injury worries, although Sopic is anticipated to make several changes following the disappointing performance in the first leg.

Joris Moutachy and Gabriel Debeljuh were both replaced at halftime in Istanbul as Kauno shifted to a more offensive strategy, but both players could maintain their spots in the starting lineup.

Amine Benchaib continues to be one of the key creative forces for the hosts and is likely to keep his position, while Renan Oliveira could return to the starting XI after coming on as a substitute in the first leg.

Besiktas has no major new injury issues, but Italiano is likely to rotate extensively given the comfortable advantage his team holds.

Leonardo Trossard started the match against Alanyaspor after recovering from an injury sustained in the first leg and is available, while summer addition Dusan Vlahovic may receive his first start for the club.

The visitors possess sufficient depth to make changes without significantly weakening their squad, particularly with players like Kokcu and Murillo able to provide experience if necessary.

Kauno Zalgiris probable starting XI:

Svedkauskas; Moutachy, Tolordava, Lekiatas, Konatar; Krekovic, Baldassarra, Benchaib; Fat guy, Oliveira

Besiktas probable starting XI:

Nobel; Murillo, Djalo, Topcu, Yilmaz; Ozcan; Cerny, Kokcu, Olaitan, Trossard; Vlahovic

Kauno Zalgiris is expected to enter the second leg with a significantly more attacking mindset, particularly as they have little to lose after conceding three goals in Istanbul.

However, the defensive organization of Besiktas, alongside their superior individual talent and the significant lead from the first leg, should make it challenging for the hosts to unsettle them.

It’s anticipated that the Lithuanian champions will find the back of the net in front of their home fans, but Besiktas is expected to remain composed and secure a comfortable aggregate victory to finalize their position in the Europa League group stage.