“It’s hard for me to find words. There were two levels to the game today. One level is that we didn’t progress, we’re all devastated by that. On the other level, the team’s performance was absolutely top and brilliant. I’m terribly sorry that we couldn’t continue for another 30 minutes in what happened here. Centimeters were missing from extra time,” Pražany coach Jindřich Trpišovský said after the match.
After being eliminated from Lille, Slavia moved to the main stage of the Europa League and will collect a bonus of 4.31 million euros (108 million crowns) for participating in it. Another 4.29 million euros (107.5 million crowns) will be received as an eliminated team in the 4th preliminary round of the Champions League. The eight opponents for the league phase of the EL will be known by the red and white on Friday afternoon at the draw.
Coach Trpišovský made two changes to the starting line-up compared to the opening match in France. The injured Masopust was replaced by captain Bořil at right halfback and, unusually, Douděra started on the wing instead of Schranz.
The Red and Whites entered the match in front of a sold-out Eden with a big onslaught and soon erased half of the deficit from the away match. After half a minute, Chorý shot over after a mistake by the visitors, but in the fifth minute the score had already changed. After a collision with Chorý, Bořil headed the ball for Zafeiris and he sent the ball to the post from a volley on the ground. The video referee was still reviewing the previous situation, but did not detect the offside position. The Norwegian midfielder scored for the second time this season.
“I was free and I hoped that he (Bóřa) would see me. The ball was jumping a little, so I had to jump a little and hit it out of the air. It wasn’t very easy, but it suited me. Then just crazy joy came,” he said Zafeiris. “We knew that if we scored the first goal, it would shake the opponent and give us energy,” said Trpišovský.
In the 22nd minute, Haraldsson fired a corner kick, but Slavia’s goalkeeper Kinský kicked the ball away. The home team practically had a clear chance from the counterattack. Provod passed from the right side under Choré, but the summer signing from Pilsen missed the goal from an excellent position and did not follow up on the two goals from the previous preliminary round against Saint-Gilloise. In the 40th minute, Zafeiris took a direct kick from a good spot just outside the penalty area and hit the crossbar.
Lille also threatened in the second half
After the change of sides, Gudmundsson, the fourth team of last year’s French league, had the first better chance. In the 47th minute, he wound his way in front of Kinski, but the home goalkeeper narrowed the angle by running out and neutralized the opportunity.
Judge Vinčič then “let go” on each side after one intervention in the goal. In the 63rd minute, the crossbar also helped Kinski after Zhegrov’s free kick unexpectedly curled into the upper structure of the goal. Immediately he missed Santos with a long-range shot.
Trpišovský made three substitutions in the 74th minute, but it did not bring luck to his team. Three minutes later, after a pass from David, he stretched Zhegrov out of the penalty area and leveled with a low attempt at the back post. The Kosovar offensive all-rounder followed up on the goal from the opening duel.
“They went for a break, we defended it. But Zhegrova again got into the dribble and into his position on the axis of the field. Plus he has this shot at the near post. I have to look at it, one player was quite far from him. Tonda (Kinský) said that he had a piece of it. His leg went down and he didn’t reach the ball,” Trpišovský regretted.
The home team did not give up after the equalizer and in the next seven minutes revived the hope of a turnaround. Chytil’s finish was sent from close range into the net by substitute Schranz. Just like before the opening goal, the Slavists narrowly avoided offside again.
In the 88th minute, Zafeiris could have sent the double game into overtime, but the second time in the return, he hit the crossbar. He didn’t beat Chevalier Chytil in the close-up setting and the onrushing Ogba headed wide. The Celebrants had overwhelming pressure, but Jurásek, who was substituting from close range, could not get through even with a header. The Red and Whites did not lose for the first time in the fourth game against Lille, but it was not enough for them to advance. Despite the elimination, they were accompanied by a long applause from the fans.
“The people were fantastic, we already had chills running down our spines during the warm-up. We regret that we didn’t at least go to extra time. We weren’t far from it, it’s a shame we had three chances in the last seven minutes. I think we would have the upper hand in extra time,” said Trpišovský .
We didn’t expect to suffer like this, said the Lille coach
Bruno Génésio, Lille’s coach, admitted that he did not expect them to fight so hard for promotion. “We didn’t expect to suffer so much. We knew what was coming, that it was going to be a big athletic battle. It was like that from the beginning. There were a lot of fights and we lost most of them in the first half. Very early we they conceded a goal, which was the worst possible scenario. But we were able to pick ourselves up in the second half. We managed to avoid mistakes. The main thing was that we qualified for the Champions League.”
Slavia’s players were disappointed that they narrowly missed out on promotion to the Champions League. “I think there is nothing to be ashamed of, we chased them. In my opinion, it was a match worthy of the Champions League, a piece was missing,” stated David Douděra. And Lukáš Provod added: “It’s extremely regrettable, because we all believed in it. When we scored the first goal, even more so. We went into the second half full of enthusiasm and confidence. We believed that our dream would come true. There was very little left, but it didn’t work out.”
