Dinamo Tbilisi vs FK Zalgiris Vilnius

Numan Kurdic opened the scoring in the 14th minute, rising highest to head home from a set-piece situation — his first goal in European competition for the club.

Dinamo doubled their lead 12 minutes later through Brazilian centre-back Léo Santos, who swept a right-footed shot past Žalgiris goalkeeper Vincentas Šarkauskas from inside the box.

Before Žalgiris could catch their breath, Nikoloz Ugrekhelidze made it 3-0 in the 30th minute, tapping in from close range after a goalmouth scramble. All three goals arrived without a registered assist.

The first-half onslaught — three goals in a 16-minute blitz between the 14th and 30th minutes — left the Lithuanian side with a mountain to climb in the second leg.

Žalgiris offered little in response. They managed no shots on target in the first half and failed to seriously test Dinamo goalkeeper Giorgi Loria after the break. Manager Andrius Skerla withdrew Matas Vareika for Nikola Petković and Marko Capan for Ivan Lytvynenko at half-time, but the tactical changes failed to spark a comeback.

Kurdic's 14th-minute header from a dead-ball situation. The early goal forced Žalgiris out of their defensive shell and opened up the spaces that Santos and Ugrekhelidze exploited in the following minutes. Before that moment, the tie had been cagey; after it, Dinamo's attacking confidence snowballed.

• Numan Kurdic (Dinamo Tbilisi) — Scored the crucial opener with a well-timed header, set the tone for the rout, and was solid defensively throughout.
• Léo Santos (Dinamo Tbilisi) — The Brazilian defender bagged his first goal for the club with a clinical finish from open play, complementing his defensive work.
• Nikoloz Ugrekhelidze (Dinamo Tbilisi) — Capped the scoring spree with a poacher's tap-in, showing sharp instincts inside the box.
• Giorgi Loria (Dinamo Tbilisi) — The veteran goalkeeper was barely tested but organiszed a back line that recorded a clean sheet in a European qualifier for the first time this season.

Player of the Match: Numan Kurdic — his early header was the catalyst for everything that followed.

Dinamo Tbilisi's three-goal haul came entirely in the first half (14', 26', 30'), reflecting a devastating early burst rather than sustained dominance. Žalgiris failed to score in a European qualifier for the first time this season, and their inability to register an away goal leaves the tie effectively decided before the second leg. The clean sheet was Dinamo's first in a competitive fixture since the start of the 2026 season.

Dinamo Tbilisi take a commanding 3-0 aggregate lead into the second leg at LFF Stadium in Vilnius on 30 July 2026. The winner of the tie will face either Paide Linnameeskond (EST) or FK Zira (AZE) in the third qualifying round. Žalgiris need to overturn a three-goal deficit on home soil — something they have not achieved in European competition since 2018.

Dinamo Tbilisi's explosive first-half display effectively settled this tie inside 30 minutes. Ketsbaia's side were clinical, ruthless, and well-organised. Žalgiris, by contrast, never recovered from the early setback and face a near-impossible task in the second leg. The Georgian side look well placed to progress to the third qualifying round.