Linfield face a challenging task to progress in the Champions League following a 3-1 first leg defeat to Zalgiris Vilnius in Lithuania.
The Blues almost got off to a dream start when, after just 11 minutes, Christy Manzinga got past the home defence only to see an effort crash back off the crossbar.
There was little between the sides as the game progressed but two goals late in the first half handed Zalgiris a distinct advantage at the break.
They opened the scoring on 37 minutes courtesy of a superbly executed free-kick by Frenchman Hugo Vidémont which he sent over the wall and past Chris Johns from around 25 yards.
Then, on the stroke of half-time, the home side were awarded a penalty after Stephen Fallon was adjudged to have handled in the box with Tomislav Kiš duly stepping up to convert.
But Linfield were thrown a lifeline early in the second half when, on 54 minutes, a deflected Fallon effort was pushed out by keeper Edvinas Gertmonas only as far as Manzinga who returned it into the net.
However, Zalgiris restored their two goal advantage just over ten minutes after that after Jakub Sylvestr met a corner to head against an upright with the ball coming back off Johns and into his own net.
The sides meet again next Tuesday night at Windsor Park, kick-off 7:45pm.
Zalgiris Vilnius: Gertmonas, Bopesu, Gamakov, Kiš, Vidémont, Sylvestr, Mikoliūnas, Verbickas, Diaw, Ljubisavljević, Kyeremeh subs Duka (not used), Uzėla (replaced Gamakov 83), Tatomirović (not used), Piliukaitis (not used), Onazi (replaced Verbickas 59), Tadic (replaced Sylvestr 83), Karamarko (replaced Kyeremeh 84), Mikulenas (not used), Jarusevičius (not used)
Linfield: Johns, Newberry, Shields, Callacher, Manzinga, M. Clarke, Fallon, Mulgrew, Pepper, Quinn, Palmer subs Walsh (not used), Williamson (not used), Hume (not used), Stewart (replaced Quinn 77), Nasseri (replaced Manzinga 78), A. Clarke (not used), Carroll (not used)
