Three league games, nine points. In addition, two victories in the preliminary round of the Champions League. Sparta’s new coach Lars Friis has so far led the reigning champions in the new season without faltering. It was also confirmed with a defensively tuned Dukla, although Letenští certainly did not play at one hundred percent, they won easily 2:0 and did not allow a single shot on goal.
They are a weapon. Maybe also because what works doesn’t change. In the last three matches, Sparta based their wins on corner kicks. After the league in Teplice and the rematch of the 2nd preliminary round of the Champions League against Shamrock Rovers, Letenští also took on Dukla from a standard situation against a strong defending team.
It was necessary, because otherwise they weren’t exactly rolling forward. Rather, it seemed that they were conserving strength and driving with the brakes on when the program was set. Moreover, they were aware that even an average performance should be enough to win against the league newcomer.
Became.
“It was a solid performance. We had the ball under control. We made four or five great chances, we had very good entries into the box,” praised Spartan coach Lars Friis.
Defender Martin Vitík will record the decisive hit in his resume, but he also scored the last time in Teplice. This time he pushed the ball into the net after Kaan Kairinen’s corner. Another stopper, Jaroslav Zelený, also made a significant contribution to getting the ball to him, but he did not hesitate to go into a fight with goalkeeper Matúš Hruška. Vitík scored for the eighth time in the domestic competition, but for the first time at home in Letná, where he has only scored in the European Cup so far.
“It was a shame that we conceded goals just before half-time,” regretted the coach of the guests, Petr Rada. “In the end, we got both goals from set pieces,” he pointed out.
Vitík asserted himself emphatically, over the opponent, moving in the area of the back post. And that is the connecting moment of further successes after corner kicks. “I try to look for the ball on the back post. It shows what we are planning in training,” explained the shooter Vitík.
Executors from both sides turned the ball into the other half of the goal – left-handed Kairinen from the right, right-handed Lukáš Haraslín from the other. Both played the standards very decently, thus making it uncomfortable for the opponent.
The second of them was probably the most outstanding fighter in the red jersey. He fired for the first time with a classic shelling in the third minute. In the first half, he tested the goalkeeper with a free kick and a shot from the edge of the box. After changing sides, he got a great chance, but from some eight meters he hit a bouncing ball over the crossbar.
Otherwise, Sparta was dull, giving the most cloudy performance of the season. There were also classic supports without a cartridge. Veljko Birmančević flashed with one foot and a confidently converted kick in the 81st minute, after which – it must be said – he added. Jan Kuchta was not bursting with energy and stubbornness as usual. Kairinen and Markus Solbakken in the midfield played elegantly, but not very straightforwardly (with the exception of two fine passes in the first part of the match).
Angelo Preciado in particular acted drowsily and without interest. He didn’t perform any of the classic penetrations, he didn’t center well. No, it wasn’t his match.
On the other hand, it must be said that Dukla defended really stubbornly, it was unpleasant, it often leveled a wall of nine players in its penalty area. It really wasn’t easy to penetrate it. “We played a fair match. But we lost, that’s unpleasant,” said Rada. “We were a bit toothless going forward,” he added. The word little is slightly misleading, the guests did not test goalkeeper Peter Vindahl even once.
The Spartans can now switch to the Champions League again, on Tuesday they will face the Romanian FCSB in the opening match of the 3rd preliminary round.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS: Full fire? The concert did not take place, the trident wants to tune. Horns are ruled by Golas
Homemade: 38. Vitík, 81. Birmancevic
Assemblies
Homemade: Vindahl – Vitík, Sørensen (C) (72. Ross), Zelený – Preciado, Kairinen (72. Laçi), Solbakken (79. Sadílek), Ryneš – Haraslín (65. Krasniqi), Kuchta (65. Olatunji), Birmančević.
Guests: Hruška – Vondrášek, Hašek, Peterka (C), Ludvíček – M. Douděra (86. Moulis), Kozma, Lichý, J. Hora I (68. Barac), Šebrle (68. Da. Pech) – Mešanović (86. Zeronik ).
Substitutes
Homemade: Vorel, García, Ross, Pavelka, Olatunji, Laçi, Tuci, Sadílek, Daněk, Krasniqi, Wiesner
Guests: Doda, Šťovíček, Holiš, Pech, Špatenka, Moulis, Matoušek, Jeřábek, Zeronik, Barac
Cards
Homemade: Kairine
Guests: Šebrle, Rada
Referee
Vokuun – Hájek, Matoušek
Stadium
epet Arena, Praha
Visit
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