Get the lowdown on Lithuania ...
ENGLAND aim to take another step on the road to Russia this evening when they play Lithuania at Wembley. Having beaten Slovakia, Malta and Scotland — and drawn with Slovenia — Gareth Southgate’s side are top of qualifying Group F.
But are they likely to encounter any problems against their Baltic visitors? ADAM SHERGOLD tells you all you need to know. Have we met them before?
The two nations had never played each other until the qualifiers for Euro 2016 and both encounters proved straightforward for England.
At Wembley in March 2015, Roy Hodgson’s England cruised to a 4-0 win with goals from Wayne Rooney, Danny Welbeck, Raheem Sterling and Harry Kane. England won the return 3-0, Ross Barkley and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scoring either side of a Giedrius Arlauskis own-goal.
How are Lithuania doing this time?
They started well, drawing 2-2 with Slovenia and were beating Scotland 1-0 at Hampden until James McArthur’s 89th-minute equaliser. A 2-0 home win over Malta offered further encouragement but they were thrashed 4-0 by Slovakia in November. They are three points off a play-off place.
Who’s big in Lithuania?
Zalgiris, who are based in the capital Vilnius, are top of the A Lyga and have been champions for the past four seasons. They have five players in the national squad.
What can we expect tonight?
There has been a change of manager since Lithuania were outclassed by England. Former striker Edgaras Jankauskas has ditched their long-ball approach and tried to adopt a shortpassing style. Lithuanian football expert Justas Kontrimas says: ’Lithuania should be aggressive and compact in defending, yet counter-attacks and set-pieces are key in trying to get a goal.’
Who is Jankauskas?
He is by some distance the most famous footballer ever to come from Lithuania. He was part of Jose Mourinho’s Porto squad (below) that won the Champions League in 2004 but British football fans may recognise the name from his time at Hearts, first as a player between 2005 and 2007, then as their assistant manager in 2012-13. Jankauskas was one of several Lithuanians brought in by then-owner Vladimir Romanov and the pair regularly clashed over just about everything. A journeyman career that started at Zalgiris in the early 1990s took JankauskasJa to 15 clubsc in 10 countries. He says: ‘The game against England could change the lives of our players, as there will be manym eyes on the match.ma England are better in terms of pace, decision-making and technical skills. But we are a determined squad with brave hearts and character.’
Who is their danger man?
Fiodor Cernych is their captain, player of the year and biggest star. One of his three goals in this campaign was a sensational run and screamer of a finish against Slovenia and he scored in Scotland.
Cernych is having a brilliant season with his club Jagiellonia Bialystok, who lead the Polish league against all expectations, and if anyone can score for Lithuania at Wembley, he can.
Kontrimas said: ‘Considering his flexibility and technical skills, he can cause a headache for any opponent. Besides that, in recent years he has developed into a clinical player.’