Liberec won the 3rd preliminary round of the European League 2: 0 on the ground of the weakened FCSB, which lacked 15 players due to coronavirus. The North Bohemians played a long power play at the stadium in Giurgiu from the 20th minute and the exclusion of the home team Stefan Cany, which they used in the second half by a corner kick by Júsuf Hilál and alternating Michael Rabušic.
Slovan continued to win 5: 1 from the 2nd preliminary round against the Lithuanian Riteriai and in the final preliminary round he will play at home next week for the basic group with the winner of the duel APOEL Nicosia – Zrinjski Mostar.
The match in Giurgio has been in jeopardy until this afternoon due to the spread of coronavirus in the FCSB team since last week. UEFA has allowed the Romanian club to hastily add new players to the roster and join.
Due to the coronavirus crisis, the entire qualification of the European League is played for only one match and without spectators. Liberec is striving for the first promotion to the basic group of European cups from the 2016/17 season.
The FCSB, which started due to coronavirus weakened in the previous round on the grounds of Bačka Topola, eventually had 18 players available, including two goalkeepers. The owner of the Becali club hired several new players at the last minute, and one of them, Karanovic, had to change after 10 minutes due to injury.
An even bigger complication for the home came in the 20th minute. Stoper Cana fouled the escaping Mosquer and the Azerbaijani referee dismissed him. The subsequent direct kick by Hilál was pulled out by the goalkeeper Straton, who also managed to find Hromad’s shot.
Although Liberec did not dominate so much in the power play, it created its chances. However, the header Pešek missed and before the break Straton caught the header Hilal. The FCSB was threatened with weakening, but he still had the greatest chance of the first half in full numbers at the beginning, when the goalkeeper Nguyen was stretched out by Sut.
The Liberec goalkeeper kept his teammates mainly six minutes after the break, when he neutralized Petre’s escape. The coach of Slovan Hoftych immediately sent the second striker Rabušice into play and he could immediately prevail, but Straton struck well against his header.
The North Bohemians were stepping up the pressure. The shot from the right side was not narrowly hit by two visiting players, then Sut turned away behind Hilal’s header behind the already overcome goalkeeper. In the 63rd minute, Mikulov’s spotted shot ended right next to, but Slovan struck from the next corner. After Mosquer’s center, Hilal pushed his head to the pole and followed the goal from the 2nd preliminary round on the soil of the Lithuanian Riteriai.
In the 82nd minute, the North Bohemians insured the lead from the same action. This time, alternating Rabušic jumped on Mosquer’s next center from the corner and definitely decided. In the end, the guests have not changed two chances yet.
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