Kauno Žalgiris have been handed a demanding but fascinating group-stage schedule in the UEFA Conference League, with Freiburg and Brighton among the six opponents they will face in an historic campaign for the Lithuanian champions.
The draw was decided by the button presses of Metino Tekino, the Bešiktaš legend whose hands helped determine the shape of the competition, and the result gives Kauno Žalgiris a route through a 36-team league phase that will ask for consistency from the first whistle to the last.
A six-game test against six different opponents
Kauno Žalgiris will meet six rivals from Germany, England, Switzerland, Norway, Latvia and Albania, with the full league-stage calendar stretching to December 17. UEFA had said the complete schedule would be published no later than Sunday, August 30, but the key dates are already clear enough to show how compressed and unforgiving the campaign will be.
The Lithuanian champions begin on October 15, before a second round on October 22. The third round follows on November 5, then the fourth on November 26. The fifth round is set for December 10, with the final league-stage matches on December 17.
What the draw means for Kauno Žalgiris
This is a historic campaign, and the structure of the competition leaves very little margin for error. Eight teams will progress directly to the round of 16, while sides placed from 9th to 24th will enter an additional knockout phase. Teams finishing from 25th to 36th will go out.
That is why every point matters. In a 36-team format, the difference between continuing the European run and ending it can come down to one result, one late goal or one moment of control away from home.
The draw also gives the club a clear rhythm to prepare for. If Kauno Žalgiris can stay competitive through the autumn, the conversation in December will not be about whether they belonged at this level, but whether they have done enough to keep the campaign alive into the new year.
From the league phase to the final in Istanbul
If Kauno Žalgiris reach the next stage, the knockout schedule is already laid out. The play-off round is set for February 18 and 25, the round of 16 for March 11 and 18, the quarter-finals for April 8 and 15, and the semi-finals for April 29 and May 6.
The Conference League final will be played in Istanbul on June 2, 2027. For Kauno Žalgiris, the immediate challenge is much simpler: turn a difficult draw into a meaningful European run and make the most of six games that will define the shape of their season.
