Banga secure away win after Šiauliai collapse following red card
Banga defeated Šiauliai 3-1 on Sunday in the A Lyga, extending their push for a European spot while the hosts continued a miserable run. The result leaves Banga fifth with 38 points from 26 games, and Šiauliai ninth with 16 from 27. And here's the thing — the match turned in the space of ten minutes after half-time.
Banga took the lead in the 27th minute when A. Olugbogi struck from the penalty spot, though he had previously missed a spot-kick in the same minute. The sequence was confusing but the scoreboard settled on 1-0. To be fair, Šiauliai had created more chances overall, but they could not find the net.
Šiauliai's problems multiplied when Cadu received his second yellow card in the 42nd minute, sending him off with ten minutes of the first half remaining. Banga responded immediately. D. Romanovskij scored in the 43rd minute, and D. Malzinskas added a third just before the break in the 45+4 minute. By then, Šiauliai were already playing with ten men against a side that had seized the initiative.
The second half offered little drama beyond a VAR-cancelled goal for Šiauliai in the 56th minute. The hosts finally pulled one back through S. Praleika in the 90+1 minute, but it was too little, too late. Banga made substitutions to see out the game, bringing on A. Olugbogi in the 90+4 minute as a late change.
The statistics tell a familiar story. Šiauliai dominated possession at 53 per cent and recorded 114 attacks compared to Banga's 86, but they managed only four shots on target from 13 attempts. Banga, with fewer opportunities, were more clinical with five shots on target from 14. The red card changed everything, and Šiauliai ended up with three yellow cards and no reds of their own — the sending-off belonged to their opponent.
Šiauliai's recent form has been relentless in its negativity. They have lost four of their last five league games, including heavy defeats against Hegelmann, Žalgiris Kaunas, and Žalgiris Vilnius. Banga, meanwhile, sit comfortably in fifth place and have won three of their last four matches. This result closes the gap between them and the teams ahead while Šiauliai drift further from safety.