MARIJAMPOLE, Lithuania (Interstat) — Ivan Canjuga scored the only goal as Croatia U21 defeated Lithuania U21 1-0 on Tuesday in an Under-21 competition match. Croatia U21, the visiting side, took the lead and held it through a tense second half. Lithuania U21, playing at home, pushed for an equalizer but could not break through. The result gave Croatia U21 its first win of the competition season and left Lithuania U21 still looking for its first point.

Canjuga’s goal proved the difference. The Croatia U21 player was on the field for the full 90 minutes and finished with one goal, the single scoring play that separated the teams. His contribution was enough because Croatia U21 kept Lithuania U21 off the scoreboard. The home team had moments of pressure, but the final ball and finishing touch were missing. Croatia U21 managed the game after taking the lead, slowing the pace and defending its advantage as the match moved toward the closing stages.

The first half included one caution. Lithuania U21’s Gudelevicius was shown a yellow card in the 34th minute. Croatia U21 went into halftime with the lead, then made a major set of changes at the 46th minute. Mazar, Pavic, Verinac and Pavlesic all entered the substitution sequence for Croatia U21 at that point. The four changes signaled a clear attempt to manage the second half and protect the narrow advantage.

Lithuania U21 also turned to its bench. In the 58th minute, the home side made three substitutions involving Praleika, Pavlovskij and Jansonas. Those changes were designed to inject fresh energy into the chase. Croatia U21 made another substitution in the 71st minute, with Bodetic entering the match. Lithuania U21’s Emerhi, who had been booked in the 52nd minute, was substituted in the 76th minute. Lithuania U21 made one more change in the 85th minute, bringing Burdzilauskas into the game.

Discipline remained a theme. Lithuania U21’s Matyzonok received a yellow card in the 66th minute, the third booking for the home side. Croatia U21’s Topic was cautioned in the 90th minute. The four yellow cards reflected the growing tension as Lithuania U21 searched for a goal and Croatia U21 worked to close out the result. The visitors’ back line and midfield held firm in the final minutes, denying Lithuania U21 a clear path to an equalizer.

The win moved Croatia U21 to 1-1 in the competition and 1-1 across all competitions. Lithuania U21 fell to 0-1 in the competition and 0-1 across all competitions. Croatia U21 had lost its previous competition match at Ukraine U21. Lithuania U21 remained without a win this season. The result gave Croatia U21 a recovery after that earlier defeat and left Lithuania U21 still searching for its first points of the campaign.

For Lithuania U21, the afternoon ended in frustration. The home side had the urgency and the support, but Croatia U21’s goal stood as the only difference. Croatia U21 managed the final minutes well enough to keep the clean sheet and take the victory. The visitors’ record in the competition evened out, while the hosts remained without a point. The match was decided by a single moment of finishing and by Croatia U21’s ability to protect that lead.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Lithuania U21 1, Croatia U21 0. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Lithuania U21 with a 66.7 percent probability to win. The projections favored the home side, but the match delivered a different outcome. The actual result ran against those projections, as Croatia U21 claimed the 1-0 win on Tuesday.