European Championship qualifying: Liechtenstein vs. Lithuania
With Europe’s major leagues having wrapped up the 2010/11 season a few weeks ago, many national teams are now entering the decisive phase of their campaigns for a place at the 2012 European Football Championship in Poland and Ukraine, before the summer break. Lithuania still have a legitimate chance of qualifying for a European Championship finals for the first time, but they must leave Liechtenstein with a win in their away match. The rank outsiders from the principality have yet to earn a point and should not pose an insurmountable challenge for Lithuania, meaning the Baltic side should be able to head into the summer break in a strong position.
Litauen will mit einem Sieg in Liechtenstein seine letzte Chance auf die EM 2012 wahren.
Date: 30/09/2026
After a splendid start to their European Championship qualifying campaign—with a 0–0 home draw against Scotland in Kaunas and a somewhat surprising 1–0 away win in the Czech Republic—Lithuania duly came off second best in their next two matches against reigning world and European champions Spain. With just four points from as many games, Lithuania currently sit fourth, but still hold all the cards in the race to qualify for Euro 2012. Lithuania have already played both matches against Spain, the overwhelming favorites in Group I, and still have two games against Liechtenstein to come. Today’s first meeting kicks off in Vaduz at 7:30 p.m., with the return leg in Lithuania scheduled for September. After that, two more wins against their direct rivals Scotland (in Glasgow on September 6) and the Czech Republic at home could at least secure Lithuania a place in the play-offs. Spain will qualify directly for Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine as group winners; among experts, there can be no serious doubt about that.
The Lithuanian national football team’s only international achievement to date is qualifying for the 1924 Olympic Games in Paris. It is high time Lithuania returned to the international football map by successfully qualifying for a European Championship finals. However, coach Raimondas Zataustas’s side must do so without any major stars. Most of the national team players are contracted to clubs in Russia or Lithuania; only captain and record goalscorer Tomas Danilevicius, of AS Livorno in Italy, has made it into one of Europe’s top leagues from the current squad.
Kai Rebmann
