They have a really busy schedule behind them. In the course of 22 days, Spartak Trnava football players played up to 7 matches in three different competitions. Just three days after winning the first point in the group stage of the European Conference League at the FC Nordsjaelland field, they started the Nike League duel in Košice.
Despite the reduced possibilities, due to numerous absences, it was interesting to note that the Trnava team in the east of Slovakia started with the same 11 players in the starting line-up as before in Denmark.
They did not want to speculate, they are looking forward to the break
“Between these two matches, we practically did not train anymore. We kept the same line-up, we just needed to regenerate as best as possible. We played in a similar system and with similar tasks,” explained Trnava coach Michal Gašparík after the meeting in Košice, where his team flew directly from Denmark to avoid a lengthy bus journey.
“We didn’t want to speculate, we encouraged the players to ‘squeeze out’. The national team break will help us a lot to get the guys together and rest. I’m proud of them that we did it and got a lot of points. If we had hesitations like last season, we wouldn’t even be in the top six,” emphasized the coach of the currently 3rd team in the league table.
news-item-description">The players of FC Košice lost their ninth league match in a row. In Sunday’s match of the 14th round of the Nike League, they lost 0:2 to FC Spartak Trnava on their home turf. Both goals were scored in the second half, when Philip Azango scored in the 48th minute and Filip Bainovič in two minutes.
Defender? He can’t imagine it, but…
Trnava managed the duel in Košice mainly thanks to an excellent start to the second half. They won 2:0 with two goals in a span of three minutes. Before the initial accurate strike in the 48th minute, Erik Daniel did an excellent job, playing with the defender Oleksandr Golikov and placing an accurate cross on the head of the advancing Philip Azang.
Although Daniel shined in his traditional wing area, he once again started in the position of left defender. Coach Gašparík does not hide the fact that he would like to transform him into a defender, he himself is not very enthusiastic about it.
“I can’t imagine it yet, I’m still a winger. But if it were to continue like this, I wouldn’t mind,” Daniel smiled when asked by ŠPORT.sk.
In the 50th minute, Filip Bainovič also scored with a shot from a distance. Home goalkeeper Matúš Kira reached for the ball, but could not push it out of the area of the three posts.
Rest and then the final of the first half
“We knew that we would have to fight through it physically. The boys have had enough, including me. Hats off to everyone. In the first half we played a bit of handball, there was no moment of surprise. That changed after the break. I’m glad we managed this match,” stated the stopper of Spartak Lukáš Štetina.
He also played a significant role in the fact that the Košice team did not shoot into the goal area even once. He is happy that the association term is coming, but he is also thinking about what will follow after it ends.
“Hopefully some of the guys will come together and help us again as we go into the finals of the opening half of the season. I believe that we will keep our form and collect points even after the break.” Szczecin wishes.
Trnava football players should get up to four days off during the next week. The players’ cabin is clear about whether the coach should award them.
“Will have to. We have to push him,” Štetina laughed. “Recently, we have experienced a change of surfaces, previously artificial grass, now soft terrain. It’s very demanding and I think we deserve time off,” added the veteran defenseman.
2023-11-12 22:40:00
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