Lithuania dig deep to deliver rare Euro point
17.06.2023 15:56, Alex Waite
Ten-man Lithuania held Bulgaria to a 1-1 UEFA European Championship draw and claimed their first point in the competition’s qualifying stages since June 2019.
Lithuania began on the front foot, seemingly eager to hit the net for the first time in five matches. And the hosts’ prayers were answered with an early goal, as a succession of corners eventually led to Edvinas Girdvainis volleying in off the post from Gvidas Gineitis’ cross. But the good times would only last for a few fleeting moments, as Justas Lasickas was dismissed three minutes later for a heavy challenge on Kiril Despodov.
Inevitably, momentum swung in Bulgaria’s favour and their man advantage soon showed. A well-worked corner routine ended with Stanislav Shopov teeing up Marin Petkov on the edge of the area, and the midfielder drilled a powerful low strike into the net to give Bulgaria their first goal in Euro 2024 qualifying. Unrelenting with a numerical edge, Bulgaria continued to create chances as HT loomed, and Despodov notably hit a rising strike from a distance that Edvinas Gertmonas palmed away.
Both sides sensed an opportunity to get off the mark in their Group G qualifying campaign, and a cagier start to the second period ensued. However, Despodov emerged once again as Bulgaria’s main threat, and he rose to meet Ivaylo Chochev’s cross, only to head just over the crossbar. Lithuania would not be held back by their numerical disadvantage though, and the hosts almost struck two home goals for the first time since October 2021, when Gineitis’ free-kick flew inches wide of the post.
In the closing stages, Lithuania threw bodies on the line to repel several late Bulgarian advances, and the hosts successfully ended their three-match losing streak on home soil. Ultimately, Bulgaria will see this as a missed opportunity to close the gap on Group G’s top two, as the one-time World Cup semi-finalists’ torrid away winless run in Euro and World Cup qualifiers extended to 17 matches.
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