Mladá Boleslav defeated Lithuanian Transinvest 1:0 in the rematch of the 2nd preliminary round of the Conference League, and since they won the first match 2:0, they advance. Twenty-year-old striker Matyáš Vojta scored the only goal of the match in the 78th minute.
Coach David Holoubek’s men have to knock out two more opponents on the way to the main competition. In the 3rd preliminary round, they will face the better of the pair Černo More Varna – Hapoel Beer Ševa. The opening duel ended without goals, the second leg is played from 19:30.
The penultimate team of the Lithuanian league started with two changes in the starting line-up compared to the first match, coach Holoubek made three. Injured captain Matějovský was replaced in the midfield by Langhamer and Mareček, the author of all three goals in Sunday’s league match with Slovácko. In the attack, the eighteen-year-old Buryán got his chance in the A-team for the first time since the beginning.
Transinvest welcomed Mlada Boleslav on artificial grass at the LFF stadium in Vilnius because its pitch does not meet UEFA conditions. While at home, the Czech team scored twice in the opening act, today they did not make a breakthrough, despite both scorers from last week threatening. In the 12th minute, Kušej tested Čupič’s attention directly from the corner, and immediately the Serbian goalkeeper did not even have to intervene against Ladro’s inaccurate volley from the outstretched position on the back post.
In the 19th minute, the home team’s Pires got a header, but he didn’t hit the goal either. In the 26th minute, Mareček fired from a long distance, but Čupič was more confident today than a week ago, when he made a big mistake and offered the opponent the opening goal. Shortly before the break, Kušej also failed in a similar opportunity as in Ladro’s opening.
The domestic debutante in the cups played an even game with the favorite after the change of sides, but he did not get the scoring chances that would have put him back in the game for promotion. At the beginning of the second half, Devens and Pires tried from a distance, their attempts lacked punch.
The not-so-attractive course continued and a quarter of an hour before the end, complications could come for Mlada Boleslav. Goalkeeper Trmal just pushed Radčenko’s long-range shot in front of him, and the best scorer of the Lithuanian league, Devens, had a goal on his leg, but he didn’t quite hit the ball as it fell.
After all, Vojta gave certainty to the favorite in the 78th minute, who uncompromisingly beat Čupič on the crossbar from close range. The 20-year-old attacker, who spent the spring part of last season on loan in the second division Varnsdorf, scored his first hit in the A-team. In the set-up, John could have increased the score, but he ended the individual event with a shot wide.
Mladoboleslavc celebrated their return to Europe after five years by advancing over the winners of the Lithuanian Cup. They only played the group in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons in the former UEFA Cup. In the 3rd preliminary round of the Conference League, the Central Bohemians were joined by Baník Ostrava, who went over the Armenian team Urartu.
Team goals
Homemade: Čupić – Malžinskas (79. Kaškelevičius), Šveikauskas, Čivilis – Pilibaitis /C/ (79. Sakurai), Radčenko, Stočkūnas, Satō (62. Kiselevskis) – Pires (76. Kružikas), Devens, Cândido (62. Kawači)
Guests: Trmal – Kostka, Suchý /C/, Král, Fulnek – Mareček (65. Mašek), Vydra (85. Sakala), Langhamer – Ladra (65. Vojta), Buryán (46. John), Kušej (79. Stránský)
Cards
Homemade: Malžinskas, Šveikauskas, Chivilis, Kiselevskis, Devens
Guests: Buryan, Kušej
Referee
MacDermid – Potter, Rae (SCO)
Stadium
LFF Stadium, Vilnius (LTU)