07 sep 2025, 09:10
Last updated: 07 Sep 2025, 9:10 AM
National coach Edgaras Jankauskas is confidently looking forward to the meeting with the Netherlands. According to the coach, the Orange team, which on Thursday did not get any further than a 1-1 draw against Poland, is not an insurmountable hurdle.
The draw against Malta on Thursday evening is fuel for the revanche feelings of Lithuania: “I repeat: there are no players who do not make mistakes,” said the Bondcoach Van Lithuania at the press conference prior to the game.
The 51-year-old coach acknowledges the qualities of the Dutch: “We know the Dutch football players very well, we see them in the largest competitions in the world, but we also see their mistakes.”
Just like Lithuania, the Netherlands is not infallible, says Jankauskas: “The mistakes of the Netherlands do not arise automatically. People make mistakes when they are under pressure; if there is aggression, if they are pushed. There are no clear players.”
He has already devised the plan for the Lithuanian national team: “We have to take care of teamwork, dedication and fighting if we don’t have the ball. And if we do have it, we want to play our game.”
Jankauskas made an analysis of the Netherlands-Malta (8-0) and concluded a distorted result: “There were many individual moments that Malta held the ball, combined and put pressure on their keeper.”
“It is clear that the result was not in favor of Malta, but those who not only look at the result saw that there were times when Malta had the initiative. That means it is possible to play football against the Netherlands,” concludes Jankauskas.