They celebrate a six-point lead in Eden! Slavia beat Sparta 2:1 in the expected derby in the 11th round of the Chance League. Mojmír Chytil scored the opening goal in the second minute, and Christos Zafeiris added another goal in the first half. Sparta improved only after the change of sides, but substitute Albion Rrahmani could only reduce. In the very end, home Oscar and guest Martin Vitík were eliminated.
The Red and Whites won the league derby for the first time after five matches, but at home they scored twelfth of the last 13 duels in the top competition against their old rival. Sparta suffered a defeat in the second round in a row, last time they lost to Olomouc. Letenští lost points for the first time in the sixth away game of the league year.
While Slavia started in the expected line-up, the Danish coach of Sparta Friis initially left only Haraslín on the bench and put Krasniqi in the starting eleven. Stopper Sörensen returned to the game after a four-match absence due to health reasons. Both teams entered the match after 1-1 draws in the European Cups, with Sparta drawing in the Champions League in Stuttgart on Tuesday and Slavia at home to Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League on Thursday.
Vršovičtí started with an onslaught and opened the scoring right from the first action. Diouf collided with Bořil, weaved his way into the goal and his cross shot from the left side at the beginning of the second minute was directed into the net by an emphatic Chytil. The 25-year-old striker scored for the first time in the match between the Prague rivals and after 65 seconds scored the fastest goal in a derby in a separate league history.
Sparta couldn’t get up to speed at first. In the 19th minute, after Diouf’s error, the visitors advanced to the break, Krasniqi’s pass went all the way to Birmančevič, but his inconspicuous ground shot was deflected by the defense. Moments later, the red and white increased. Zafeiris pulled the ball through the middle of the field, stretched just outside the goal and Vindahl’s attempt did not reach the post. The Greek representative also scored in the derby for the first time, and in addition celebrated his 50th start in the Czech league in style.
FIRST IMPRESSION: A bloated Slavia dominated for an hour, Laci’s weakest performance for Sparta
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On the opposite side, Preciado missed from the edge of the penalty area. Another shot by Zafeiris was then deflected by Vindahl, and the home team then in vain demanded a penalty after the fight between Choré and Laci. In the 38th minute, Douděra fired wide.
After switching sides, coach Friis withdrew Olantuji and replaced Haraslín. The home team initially controlled the two-goal lead relatively easily, but conceded in the 65th minute. During the counter-attack, Haraslín transferred the ball to the right side to the onrushing Rrahmani, and he surprised goalkeeper Kinski with a ground shot at the front post from the edge of the goal from behind the defender. The Kosovo international scored his third competitive goal for Sparta after his recent summer arrival.
Immediately, Haraslín could even equalize, but Kinský missed his technical attempt at the end of the 67th minute. The fresh national team goalkeeper then significantly supported Slavia even in the 81st minute, when he caught Birmančevič, who tried to go around him from an angle.
On the opposite side, substitute Lingr, who will celebrate his 26th birthday on Monday, failed to make a big chance after a jam. In the third minute of regulation, Kinský tamed Rrahmani’s shot, and referee Szikszay, to his surprise, awarded Vitík a strict second yellow card after the ensuing push.
The home player was also sent off when the head referee, after the intervention of the video referee and a review of the situation from the recording, sent Oscar prematurely to the dressing room for a header in the direction of the opponent. Slavia confirmed their favorable balance in Eden, where they lost only one of the last 42 matches in the league.
Goals
Home: 2. Chytil, 21. Zafeiris
Assemblies
Home: Kinský – Holeš, Zima, Bořil (C), D. Douděra (83. Wallem) – Zafeiris, Oscar – Diouf (90. Frozen), Chytil (60. Lingr), Provod – Sick.
Guests: Vindahl – Vitík, Panák (C), Sørensen – Preciado, Laci (84th Solbakken), Kairine, Ryneš (74th Zelený) – Birmančević (84th Daněk), Olatunji (46th Haraslín), Krasniqi (63rd Rrahmani).
Substitutes
Home: Mandous, Chaloupek, Wallem, Prebsl, Michez, Buzek, Ševčík, Jurásek, Lingr, Frozen
Guests: Vorel, Ross, Zelený, Wiesner, Solbakken, Sadílek, Pavelka, Daněk, Rrahmani, Tuci, Haraslín
Cards
Home: D. Douděra, Sick, Diouf, Wallem, Provod, Frozen, Bořil, Oscar (no)
Guests: Ryneš, Kairine, Preciado, Solbakken, Vitík, Rrahmani
Referee
Szikszay – Paták, Volf (Všetečka)
Stadium
Fortuna Arena, Prague-Vršovice
Even before the match, Letenské fans went to Eden in a traditional march. Spartan supporters had a meeting on the Old Town Square before four o’clock. Together they set off for the subway to the Želivského station. From there, the march continued on foot to the Slavie stadium in Vršovice.
Dozens of police officers watched the procession and traffic was partially restricted along its route. A sharper exchange of views between the Spartans and Slavists took place at the stadium, but physical contact between the two groups did not occur. The event went off without any problems, police spokesman Jan Daněk told ČTK.
