DIRECT FROM BUCHAREST | Those were crazy minutes. They almost drowned in the thirty thousand cauldron. Nevertheless, the Spartans eventually escaped the impending doom. After a 3-2 win in Bucharest over local FCSB (and a 1-1 draw in the first leg in Prague), they advance to the Champions League play-offs, where they will face Sweden’s Malmö. They laid the foundation for their success in the first half, when they scored three times, but in the second half they let themselves be crushed. But not crush.
Asger Sörensen was convulsing, Qazim Laci could barely walk. Sparta went bare in the harsh heat. And in the end, she succeeded, even though at the end of the match she collapsed under the pressure of the proud FCSB.
The first half decided her progress. She totally dominated him.
“I have a plan,” coach Lars Friis threatened the opponent. Before the match – of course – he did not reveal it. Looking at the plowed lawn, which, however, did not bother the Spartans, it was obvious from the first minute.
They went to observe two essential (and somewhat atypical) matters. First, Victor Olatunji jumped on the tip, whose teammates tried to run passes behind the defense at the first opportunity. On the contrary, he played with his back to the goal as little as possible, the implementation team defined his role differently.
Questionnaire
Will Sparta advance to the basic group of the Champions League?
Second, in midfield, Friis et al. decided to cripple the creativity and unquestionable quality brought by home captain Darius Olaru. Of the pair of Kaan Kairinen, Qazim Laci, this time the former moved more in a more offensive space, while the Albanian devil had the task of preventing the man with the armband and number 27 from getting to the ball at all. Especially in the first part of the match, he did it practically to the letter, he sometimes left his role during the development of the score, but in any case, Olaru was not in the game as he is used to.
To these “details” it is necessary to add a spartan setting. The team exuded confidence. Such Jaroslav Zelený at left stopper played as if it was not the Champions League at all. He went forward, played accurately, was calm. The ice-stoic Asger Sörensen was also felt. When he allowed himself to send Peter Vindahl home with a heavy head, it was clear that the Letens were on a roll.
After all, this was confirmed by the most important factor – that is, the development of the score. Sparta ran like a machine in the first half, and Veljko Birmančevič collected points in Jagr style. In the 13th minute, he scored for the first time, converting a corner kick (the team scored for the sixth time in the season after a standard situation). In the 28th minute, he confidently converted a penalty after a foul on Olatunji. At first glance, it was a harsh verdict, but the home stopper simply hit the striker with his shoulder and elbow in the jump.
Another nine minutes later, Lukáš Haraslín also scored, who from the start literally destroyed right-back Valentin Creta with his technique and audacity. Olatunji released Birmančević’s cross, Haraslín blocked the ball and showed Romania his mark, firing at the back post.
Domestic developments, quite expectedly, suffered heavily. After half an hour, captain Olaru and coach Elias Charalambous already had yellow cards. In addition, one of the spectators hit the VAR monitor with a plastic bottle and there was no play for a while.
What could be expected next? FCSB did not give up, almost 30 thousand fans chased them. In the second half, they tried to break through Sparta’s defense, which at times tightened too much. In addition, the pressure of the home team increased when captain Olaru scored.
The Spartans gradually cleared the middle of the field, the hosts also simplified the game, sending more men forward. They played with three to four players in the offensive line, while in the first half they only played with one. From the onslaught and the center on the back post he also fell and the second goal. At that point there were five minutes to go plus setup.
And that time was hell. When FCSB kicked the corner, the goalkeeper also went on a rampage. Sparta endured.
Goals
Home: 60. Potter, 85. Edjouma
Guests: 13. Birmancevic, 28. Birmancevic, 37. Haraslín
Assemblies
Home: Tarnovanu – Cretu, Dawa, Ngezana, Radunović – Sut (46. Edjouma), Lixandru (71. Alhassan) – Stefanescu (46. Baeten), Olaru (C), Baluta (46. Popa) – Miculescu
Guests: Vindahl – Vitík, Sörensen (C), Zelený – Preciado (53. Wiesner), Laci (84. Solbakken), Kairinen, Ryneš – Birmančević (84. Sadílek), Olatunji (68. Kuchta), Haraslín (68. Daněk)
Cards
Home: Olaru, Baluta, Lixandru, Tarnovanu
Guests: Preciado, Birmančević
Referee
Krogh – Wollenberg Rasmussen, Bramsen (all Denmark)
Stadium
Steaua Stadium, Bucharest
