"Echoes of Žalgiris' Triumph: Victory 'healed' even a 76-year-old 'youngster'”

2026-07-31 11:38 © E. Žaldario

Vilnius "Žalgiris" created an incredible comeback in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers.

In the second leg of the stage, the Žalgiris team defeated Tbilisi "Dinamo" 7:2 at home and triumphed in the tie with an aggregate score of 7:5.

In the first match in Tbilisi, "Dinamo" had won 3:0, so the Žalgiris players needed to overcome a three-goal deficit in the return leg.

After the match, emotions were flowing on the "Žalgiris" social media page.

"My dad – a 76-year-old young man – barely made it into the stadium; he had a torn ligament in one leg. But when IT started, he jumped with all the green and white fans like in his youth and with healthy legs. I thought he would have a heart attack," wrote Vilija.

"I confess, I didn't believe. I thought it was all over when it was 1:1 or 3:2. But what a wonderful fight, the goals – and it probably turned out to be the most beautiful victory with the corresponding emotion in the stadium. Bravo!" insisted Jonas.

"To avoid getting nervous, I went out to play badminton with the kids, thinking I'd come back and watch the recording calmly, summarizing everything... On the way back, we hear – they're shouting from the apartment buildings, but in such an euphoric way.

Something stirred inside, but I won't give up – I calm myself that it's just someone's wild birthday... Near the house, they are yelling through the window again... We just won’t start building sandcastles, we won't give in to illusions, hope is the mother of fools, provocations won't pass. When I returned, of course, I grabbed the TV remote again, turned it on – the 89th minute... Some kind of commotion, incoherently shouting, shaking the cameras...

Okay, they show the corner statistics – 7:2, but what is the score?!?! My brain just can’t grasp it. Aaaaaaaaaa, this is the result! All the family members rush in – what happened?! Dad went crazy," rejoiced Giedrius.