Lithuania take on the visitors Netherlands in a World Cup 2026 qualification match. The match will be played on Sunday, September 7th at S. Dariaus ir S. Girėno stadionas (Kaunas).
Lithuania in football are nowhere near the level of their basketball compatriots, who prove that even a small country can achieve big sporting success. Jankauskas simply doesn’t have players of the same caliber that he once was himself as a striker. Last autumn in the Nations League they suffered nothing but defeats — and that was in a group without any true giants, facing Romania, Kosovo and Cyprus, failing to even take a draw against the latter. In this regard, 2025 has been “richer,” but only relatively. They managed two qualification draws, at home against Finland and away in Malta. However, they started with a 0-1 loss in Poland, and in the summer were thrashed 0-5 by Denmark in a friendly. Last Thursday, hosting Malta, they barely scraped a draw after a very difficult match. Lithuania have now gone winless in their last eight competitive games, showing major issues in attack. Defensively, they have conceded 13 goals in their previous four fixtures, highlighting their vulnerability at the back.
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The Netherlands are rightly considered the clear favorite here. The “Oranje” have long left behind their extended slump. At Euro 2020 under De Boer, they failed to impress, but then came the World Cup, where eventual winners Argentina only edged them via penalties and the brilliance of Emi Martinez. Later, under Koeman, after a shaky start, the Dutch reached the Euro semifinals last year. In the Nations League, Spain eliminated them in March in a penalty shootout after a pair of entertaining draws. In June qualifiers, Depay and company faced much weaker opposition, winning convincingly: 2-0 in Finland and 8-0 at home to Malta. This cycle they started by hosting main rival Poland, and despite leading for most of the game, conceded late for a 1-1 draw. The Dutch remain unbeaten in their last nine matches, showing strong consistency. Their attack has been firing, with 19 goals scored in their last five outings, making them one of Europe’s most dangerous sides.
This will be the first time such a giant travels to Kaunas. The “Oranje” are considered clear favorites regardless. But now they are also extra motivated after their recent slip-up. We expect them to win with a -2.5 handicap.
Prediction for the match: Netherlands to win with -2.5 handicap.
