Lithuania v Estonia background

Lithuania will come up against their oldest footballing rivals in UEFA EURO 2016 qualifying Group E, having had the better of recent competitive meetings with Estonia.

Match background
• The sides have been remarkably closely matched in their 46 meetings to date, with Lithuania's record reading W19 D8 L19. 

• Lithuania lost 5-0 at home against Estonia in their first international fixture, on 24 June 1923. In the nations' 26 meetings before the advent of the Soviet Union, Lithuania's record was W7 D4 L15. Their record since both nations regained independence is W12 D4 L4.

• In the teams' four competitive meetings – all UEFA European Championship qualifiers – Lithuania's record is W3 D0 L1 (W1 D0 L1 at home, W2 D0 L0 in Estonia).

• Benjaminas Zelkevičius's Lithuania beat Roman Ubakivi's Estonia 1-0 away and 5-0 at home in EURO '96 qualifying. Darius Maciulevičius (48) struck the only goal in Tallinn on 16 August 1995, and opened the scoring after eight minutes in the return game in Vilnius on 11 October 1995, Arūnas Šuika (13 38), Vaidotas Šlekys (44) and Valdas Ivanauskas (60) completing a comfortable win.

• On 31 March 1999, Sergei Terehhov (48 and 77) helped Teitur Thordarson's Estonia to a 2-1 away win against Kęstutis Latoža's Lithuania in the sides' opening UEFA EURO 2000 encounter, Artūras Fomenka (83) pulling one back for the hosts. Lithuania got their own back on 9 June that same year, Tomas Ramelis (51) and Darius Maciulevičius (56) responding to Andres Oper's eighth-minute opener for the home side.

• Lithuania have won all eight of their games against Estonia in UEFA age-group competitions.

• In terms of UEFA club competition meetings, Lithuania have recorded five wins to Estonia's one. Most recently, FC Levadia Tallinn beat FC Šiauliai on away goals in the 2012/13 UEFA Europa League first qualifying round, losing 2-1 away following a 1-0 home win.