Ekranas played Žalgiris II to a 1:1 draw in the 18th round of the 1 Liga on 1 August 2026. The result leaves the hosts rooted to 15th place while the visitors remain comfortably mid-table. It was a match decided by moments rather than sustained pressure.
The home side took the lead in the 23rd minute. The breakthrough came from sustained work up the left flank, and the finish was clinical. Ekranas then kept their side in it for the rest of the half, though Žalgiris II controlled possession without looking in danger.
By then the game had turned on its head. A red card in the 78th minute changed everything, and Ekranas saw the game out with ten men. To be fair, the visitors could have gone ahead, but they lacked the killer instinct in the final third.
The equalizer arrived in the 84th minute, and it came from a set-piece situation. The ball was delivered into the box, and a defender headed it clear, only for the rebound to fall kindly. Ekranas extended their unbeaten run to eight matches with this point.
Ekranas sit 15th with 14 points from 23 games. Four wins and two draws have not been enough to climb out of the relegation zone. They lost their last two league matches before this draw, and the pressure is mounting.
Žalgiris II sit sixth with 40 points after 23 fixtures. Twelve wins and four draws show they are on a good run, and they have the deeper squad to maintain consistency. The gap to the top four remains manageable.
The draw means the hosts pick up a crucial point in their battle for survival. For Žalgiris II, it is another stage in their push for promotion. The table goes out of the window in these games, but the points matter at the end of the season.