Kauno Žalgiris are tough to break down at home, conceding just once in two matches on their own patch, but the visit of Dinamo Zagreb represents a major step up in class. Dinamo arrive full of goals, netting three per game so far, and their deep squad should cope better with the…
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Sign inKauno Žalgiris host Dinamo Zagreb in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League third qualifying round on 11 August 2026, at their S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno stadionas home in Kaunas. The Lithuanian side are aiming to move a step closer to the playoff round against a Dinamo team that entered the season among the favourites to reach the group stage.
Dinamo Zagreb arrive unbeaten in all competitions this season but were pushed to extra time by FC Thun in the previous round. Kauno Žalgiris have navigated two qualifying ties with disciplined defensive performances and will need another resolute display to stay in the tie ahead of the return leg in Croatia.
Dinamo Zagreb are without summer signing Aleks Stojakovic, who remains sidelined with a metatarsal fracture that has kept him out for almost two months. Right-back Moris Valincic is expected to return to the starting lineup after being rested for the weekend league win over Slaven Belupo. Head coach Mario Kovacevic can call on forward Smail Prevljak, who has been declared fit to play following a finger injury concern, but in-form striker Dion Beljo—who has scored three goals in his opening three appearances—is set to lead the line again.
For Kauno Žalgiris, midfielder Leo Ribeiro is a doubt after he was forced off shortly after coming on as a substitute in the second leg against Ki Klaksvik. Head coach Zeljko Sopic is likely to keep faith with the defensive structure that earned a goalless away draw and a 1-0 home win in that tie. Amine Benchaib, the club’s standout performer with 10 goals across all competitions this season, is expected to start in a five-man midfield.
Dinamo Zagreb’s record this season reads three wins and two draws from five outings. Their passage through the second qualifying round was far from straightforward: Miha Zajc scored an 86th-minute equaliser in a 1-1 draw away to Thun, and the return leg at Stadion Maksimir saw Dinamo trail 2-0 at half-time before a red card for Thun’s Marco Burki shifted momentum. Valincic’s 112th-minute goal eventually sealed a 3-2 win on the night and 4-3 aggregate victory. Kovacevic’s side opened their domestic title defence with a clean-sheet win over Slaven Belupo, reinforcing their status as a side that can manage a lead once they find a breakthrough.
Kauno Žalgiris have lost just once in five matches this term, winning the other four. In the first qualifying round they saw off Drita of Kosovo with a 3-2 away win and a 3-0 home victory, before eliminating Ki Klaksvik of the Faroe Islands thanks to a disciplined 0-0 draw away—where they recorded zero shots on target—and Leon Krekovic’s 85th-minute winner in the return fixture. Domestically, a 4-0 home win over Siauliai last weekend kept them top of the Lithuanian top flight on 34 points after 20 rounds, evidence of a team in competitive rhythm.
Kauno Žalgiris conceded only one first-half goal across their four qualifying ties against Drita and Ki Klaksvik, and they will look to defend in a compact 4-1-4-1 shape designed to frustrate Dinamo’s attacking patterns. Dinamo’s plan under Kovacevic involves stretching narrow defensive blocks through their wide players—against Slaven Belupo, Matteo Perez Vinlöf created Beljo’s first goal from the left—and switching play through captain Josip Misic from deeper midfield positions. If Kauno can reduce the time Misic has to lift his head, they may be able to disrupt Dinamo’s rhythm, but the Croatian champions showed against Thun that they are capable of grinding out a result even when the initial approach does not click.
Whoever emerges from this tie will face Viking in the Champions League playoff round later in the month, with a place in the league phase at stake.
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24Kauno Žalgiris
Coach: Eivinas Cerniauskas
Dinamo Zagreb
Coach: Mario Kovacevic
