FK Zalgiris and Struga will get their Champions League qualification campaign underway when they meet at the LFF Stadium in the first round on Tuesday night.
The hosts managed to reach the third qualifying round last season, before losing to Bodo/Glimt, while the visitors have never managed to qualify for the competition before.
Match preview
FK Zalgiris won the A Lyga for the third season on the bounce in 2022, collecting 84 points from 36 games, meaning they finished 21 points clear of second-placed Kauno Zalgiris, but they have not found things as simple in their ongoing campaign.
The Green Whites are still in the hunt for their 11th league title, but they are currently sitting three points behind Panevezys, having also played one game extra, so they will need to improve considerably in the second half of the campaign.
Fortunately for manager Vladimir Cheburin, his side have started to put together a fantastic run of form, collecting 38 points from their last 15 games, four more than any other side in the Lithuanian top flight.
Zalgiris have defeated top-of-the-table Panevezys during that time, running out 2-1 winners at the LFF Stadium at the end of May, with Mathias Oyewusi netting a dramatic 97th-minute winner.
The striker has continued his good form, netting seven goals in his last four games, with the Green Whites most recently defeating Riteriai 3-1, courtesy of goals from Oyewusi, Stipe Vucur and Ovidijus Verbickas.
Having only been founded in 2015, Struga have only just managed to cement themselves as a real force in the Macedonian First League, but they were dominant in the 2022-23 campaign, winning their first-ever league title in style.
Shpetim Duro's side picked up 68 points in 30 games, meaning they finished top by a 10-point margin, winning their last six league games on the spin to secure top spot.
The North Macedonian side got their hands on the league title, but they did lose their last competitive match, falling just short in the Macedonian Cup final, with Makedonija Gjorce Petrov winning after a penalty shootout in which Tuesday's visitors missed every kick.
Since then, Struga have played three friendlies, but they have failed to win a single one, most recently losing 2-1 against Albanian side Tirana.
While they have not been in the best of recent form, Duro's side are sure to be excited about embarking upon the club's maiden Champions League campaign, having got their first taste of European football in the Europa Conference League last season.
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Team News
Zalgiris goalkeeper Edvinas Gertmonas was withdrawn at half time in the last match, indicating the 27-year-old is struggling with an injury issue, so his replacement, Tomislav Duka, could get the nod between the sticks.
Given his side's fantastic recent form, Cheburin is otherwise likely to stick with the same team, and Oyewusi is a sure-fire starter in attack, having scored 14 league goals this season, the most of any player in the division.
As for Struga, their main attacking threat is Besart Ibraimi, with the 36-year-old striker playing a vital role en-route to their maiden league title win last season, scoring 19 goals, nine more than any other player in the league.
Second in the goal-scoring charts was attacking midfielder Bunjamin Shabani, and the North Macedonian is set to keep his place in the side.
FK Zalgiris possible starting lineup:
Duka; Bopesu, Vucur, Hnid, Pavelic; Gorobsov, Milickovic, Kendysh, Verbickas; Oyewusi, Kazlauskas
Struga possible starting lineup:
Kjosevski; Malikji, Krivanjeva, Radic, Merxhani, Neziri; Bojku, Kocoski, Shabani; Muharem, Ibraimi
We say: FK Zalgiris 2-0 Struga
Zalgiris are the much more experienced side in Europe, having managed to reach the third round of qualifying last season, comfortably managing to dispatch of Swedish side Malmo in the process.
The Lithuanian side's experience, coupled with Struga's recent dip in form, indicates that the hosts should be able to record a relatively straightforward victory.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Dominic Lund
