- Team advantage: Dinamo Tbilisi are 3-0 up in the tie after a decisive win.
- Home form: Zalgiris are unbeaten in 4 at home, winning 7 of their last 10 overall (across all competitions).
- Recent runs: Both teams are on strong runs in 2026, but with Dinamo clearly holding the advantage.
Dinamo to keep the pressure on in Vilnius
Dinamo Tbilisi will arrive in Vilnius on Thursday with a significant 3-0 advantage in the matchup, but they will need to stay focused and professional in order to avoid an upset in this trip to Lithuania.
- Ketsbaia has made Dinamo a high-energy team since arriving on 24 April 2026, his side have gone 6-2-2 in 10 matches across all competitions and are unbeaten in 5 (W4, D1), including last week's 3-0 home victory over Žalgiris in the UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026.
- Dinamo's away record across all competitions is 2-1-1 in 4 trips, but they don't need a win here to progress and may be more concerned with getting through this game in one piece.
- Žalgiris are the slight favourites for this clash at 2.12, but we're going to lean towards the visitors who are 3.44 alongside the draw at 3.5, as the Georgian side are in superior form and can definitely get something on Thursday.
Skerla's men are a hard to beat unit
Andrius Skerla has made quick work of instilling his own identity upon FK Zalgiris Vilnius since taking over on 15 April 2026 and they are generally a very tough team to beat at the moment. They've won 7 of their last 10 games in all competitions and were 3-1 victors in their most recent fixture, a home A Lyga 2026 encounter with FK Transinvest.
Žalgiris set up in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 formation which allows them to build play patiently through the thirds, but the best way to watch Skerla's team is when their full-backs and midfield runners arrive into the box and can still offer a goal threat without over-exposing themselves. Skerla's side are at their best when they're not only dominant, but when they maintain balance – an extremely fine line.
Bah is the key for Dinamo
As for Dinamo, they set up in a similar fashion to Žalgiris in a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 that utilizes their speed and strength on the flanks to stretch opponents. Ketsbaia has his men pressing hard and high and they're at their most dangerous when they can quickly turn defence into attack, either by forcing turnovers in the opponents half or when they're caught in possession in their own half.
Algassime Bah, who leads the way in UEFA Conference League Qualification 2026 goals scored for Dinamo with 1 goal from 3 appearances, is the main finisher. Nikola Petkovic is the counterpart for Žalgiris with 3 goals in 3 Conference League matches, but is the all-round best player on the pitch with 6 goals in his last 5 appearances for the club, scoring 6 of their 11 goals in that sequence.
Backing the favorite in this clash looks good value, but we're not going to get carried away with Žalgiris winning by a landslide, so we're taking the Under 2.5 goals and Both Teams To Score combination at 1.95 and 1.65, respectively.
