Slavia entered the match lukewarm, and the home team took advantage of that with a goal in the 8th minute, when Martin Jirout sent Police into the lead. Later, however, the selection from the spa town also played out, but it did not come to a more serious threat to the home goal. On the contrary, the Police threatened three times, and got the second goal from it. And Martin Jirout was at the center of everything, who initially failed to direct a shot from the edge of the penalty area into the Karlovy Vary goal, only to be caught by goalkeeper Soloha with the help of a defender at a 100% chance. However, for the third time, Jirout already succeeded when, after a quick transition, Černý failed to clear the ball to safety, which subsequently left Jirout alone in front of the Karlovy Vary goalkeeper, whom he overcame this time and sent the Police into a two-goal blockbuster.
“Unfortunately, at the beginning of the match in the 8th minute, we will get a goal again from a standard situation and that will determine the character of the whole match. The opponent then worked very well defensively and relied on quick breaks,” Slavia coach Marián Geňo said about the first half.
In the second half, Slavia made substitutions, but the home team once again took the lead. Then they remembered Karlovy Vary, when Shaib made his way into the home team’s 16, but failed in the battle with the Police goalkeeper.
Then several times they angered the stitched Spartak, who outplayed them with combination play, but Soloha was flawless. Slavia finally opened up the game, which resulted in a chance at the very end, when he fired alone at the Karlovy Vary goalkeeper Makarenko, who he overcame with a clever loop, but then the ball got stuck and the seamers cleared it to safety.
“We had some situations in the second half, but only until the goal. The rest of the situations were reliably defended by the home team. It was not a good performance from us today,” added Geňo about the elimination.
Spartak Police nad Metují – FC Slavia Karlovy Vary 2:0 (2:0). Goals: 8. a 40. Martin Jirout. Referee: Jansa – Vodrážka, Schmeiser. ŽK: 1:3. Spectators: 455. Karlovy Vary: Soloha – Černý (46. Antonov), Pěkný, Skala (70. Štípek), Paul (78. Černovs) – Shaibu, Vyleta, Godian (87. Godian), Kharchilava – Horník, Dolejš (46. Geňo).
