Drita 2-3 Kauno Žalgiris: Slivka brace delivers Lithuanian comeback
Report
Kauno Žalgiris overturned a 2-1 deficit in Pristina to win 3-2 on the night and 4-3 on aggregate, the Lithuanian side prevailing through Vykintas Slivka’s persistence and Amine Benchaib’s composure from the spot. Zekirija Ramadani’s Drita, armed with a 4-2-3-1 and a noisy crowd, edged ahead just after half time yet wilted when it mattered most.
Kauno head coach Eivinas Cerniauskas backed his 4-1-4-1 to control the ball and it took only nine minutes for the plan to surface, Slivka finishing Benchaib’s pass to level the tie. Drita’s reply arrived in the 20th minute when Igball Jashari converted Liridon Balaj’s assist, a pattern that repeated in the 53rd minute as Arb Manaj latched onto another Balaj delivery to swing the score to 2-1. The hosts seemed in command, but the momentum began to shift once Cerniauskas replaced Leonardo with Matas Burba in the 57th minute and Ramadani withdrew Balaj one minute later.
Without their chief link man, Drita struggled to stitch passes. Kauno pressed up, rolled on a triple substitution in the 79th minute by introducing A. Hernández, Nosa Iyobosa Edokpolor and Haris Kadrić, and were level again almost immediately when Slivka scored in the 82nd minute from Joris Moutachy’s assist. The winner came in the 90th minute, Benchaib holding his nerve from the penalty spot. The closing minutes brought more chaos than control, with referee bookings for Faton Maloku and Haris Kadrić in the 90+3rd minute and Besnik Krasniqi in the 90+6th minute, but the damage was already done.
Ramadani will regret the decision to pull Balaj in the 58th minute. The playmaker had provided both assists and Drita’s transitions lost clarity without him. Vesel Limaj and Albert Dabiqaj could not cope with Kauno’s midfield rotations once Franco Baldassarra stepped higher to join Benchaib between the lines. Slivka’s positioning was the decisive edge, breaking beyond Drita’s centre-backs twice and still finding the energy to block passing lanes when out of possession.
For Kauno Žalgiris, this was a showcase of depth and discipline. Burba’s 57th-minute arrival freed Renan Oliveira to roam, the three-man change at 79 minutes restored width, and Benchaib embodied the visitors’ composure with his assist, his penalty, and a tireless shift before Luka Račić replaced him in the 90+4th minute. On the Drita side, Manaj’s 53rd-minute strike should have been the platform for victory, yet defensive lapses and misplaced passes opened the door.
Tactical Insight
Drita’s 4-2-3-1 leaned heavily on the right flank, with Balaj drifting inside to combine with Jashari and Blerim Krasniqi. Early on it worked, but once Balaj departed Ramadani had to rely on Kristal Abazaj cutting in from the left, which blunted the tempo. Kauno’s 4-1-4-1, anchored by Baldassarra at the base, gave them 63 percent possession and the most coherent structure. Slivka’s advanced running from the interior channel repeatedly caught Jorgo Pëllumbi and Altin Bytyçi square, while Moutachy’s overlap created the lane for the 82nd-minute equaliser. At the back, Tomas Švedkauskas faced only four shots on target, a testament to how quickly Kauno counter-pressed whenever they lost the ball.
Key Figures
- Vykintas Slivka: two goals in the 9th and 82nd minutes, match-winner and box-to-box fulcrum.
- Amine Benchaib: assist for the opener, penalty conversion in the 90th minute, plus the ability to dictate tempo before departing in the 90+4th minute.
- Liridon Balaj: two assists before his 58th-minute substitution, the creative heartbeat Drita missed late on.
- Faton Maloku: booked in the 90+3rd minute as frustration mounted, symbolic of Drita’s unraveling discipline.
Jorgo Pëllumbi collected the night’s first caution in the 44th minute; Besnik Krasniqi joined him in the book during the 90+6th minute. Absent Balaj, Drita created little after the hour despite Vesel Limaj’s honest running. Kauno’s rotation, highlighted by Burba’s 57th-minute arrival and the 79th-minute triple change, ultimately took control.
Match Statistics
- Possession: Drita 37 percent, Kauno Žalgiris 63 percent
- Shots: Drita 12 total, Kauno Žalgiris 27 total
- Shots on target: Drita 4, Kauno Žalgiris 9
- Corners: Drita 5, Kauno Žalgiris 7
- Yellow cards: Drita 3, Kauno Žalgiris 1
What Comes Next
Kauno Žalgiris advance to the second qualifying round, waiting now for UEFA to confirm the next opponent and travel schedule. Drita must digest how a favourable position slipped late and refocus on domestic duty before any continental rerun. For more on Tuesday’s qualifiers, see Larne 2-1 Tre Fiori: Champions League qualifier secured and Shamrock Rovers vs Floriana.
