Žalgiris Hold Out for 40 Minutes in Conference League Debut Against Brighton
Lithuanian club Kauno Žalgiris lost 4-0 to English Premier League side Brighton in a UEFA Conference League match on 15 October. Georginio Rutter scored twice, with Jack Hinshelwood and O'Reilly also on target.
Kauno Žalgiris, a football club from Lithuania, lost 4-0 (2-0 at half-time) to Brighton of the English Premier League on 15 October in its first-ever UEFA Conference League match. The Conference League is the third tier of European club competition. The Lithuanian side resisted for a long spell, but conceded twice before the interval.
First half
Brighton were the more active team from the start and put pressure on their opponents. Even so, they created no clear scoring chances in the first 30 minutes. About 12 minutes before the break, Žalgiris goalkeeper Toms Švedkauskas had to make a save when Jack Hinshelwood sent a dangerous header in from the middle of the penalty area.
The ball finally went into the Lithuanian net in the 41st minute. The referee first blew his whistle, believing the ball had gone out of play before the final pass. After the VAR (video assistant referee) check, he awarded the goal to Georginio Rutter.
A few minutes later, in the 45+2 minute, Hinshelwood made it 2-0, running into the penalty area. This time Rutter provided the assist.
Second half
After the break the English club extended its lead. Rutter scored his second in the 53rd minute, and O'Reilly made it 4-0 in the 67th.
Other matches
In the UEFA Europa League, Juventus of Turin won 2-1 away at Spain's Celta Vigo. Hugo Álvarez gave the hosts the lead, Nick Woltemade equalised in the 59th minute, and Kolo Muani scored the winner in stoppage time.
