History: "Kauno Žalgiris” among the best Champions League futsal teams for the first time

2026-10-31 14:00

The match got off to an unfavorable start for the Kaunas side, with Daniel Garrido putting Differdange ahead in the 3rd minute. However, conceding a goal did not stop the Green-and-Whites.

The Žalgiris players’ efforts paid off as the end of the first half approached. In the 16th minute, Anderson Tangara equalized, and shortly after his pass, Brayan Stiven Silva Rivera sent the ball into the hosts’ net to put Kauno Žalgiris ahead.

The Kaunas side extended their advantage even further in the 19th minute. Francisco Gustavo da Costa scored following another pass from Anderson Tangara. The Green-and-Whites went into the break leading 3:1.

In the second half, the Kaunas side continued to make the most of their chances. In the 23rd minute, Francisco Gustavo da Costa scored his second goal, and in the 26th minute, Brayan Stiven Silva Rivera scored again following a pass from Anderson Tangara. Kauno Žalgiris’ advantage grew to 5:1.

Ruben Reis reduced the hosts’ deficit in the 28th minute, but the Green-and-Whites responded with another goal. In the 29th minute, Anderson Tangara scored following a pass from Silva Rivera, increasing the Kaunas side’s lead to 6:2.

As the end of the match approached, the Differdange players still tried to get back into the game. Beto scored in the 35th minute, while Porfirio Leitão found the net in the 37th, reducing the deficit to two goals—6:4.

However, the Green-and-Whites had the final say. In the 40th minute, Merūnas Stalmokas scored Kauno Žalgiris’ seventh goal and secured a 7:4 victory.

This victory secured Kauno Žalgiris a place in the UEFA Futsal Champions League round of 16. In their three main-round matches, the Green-and-Whites recorded two wins and one draw, collecting 7 points.