Slavia footballers won the second match of the main stage of the European Conference League against Ballkani 3:2, and after the opening draw 1:1 with Sivas, they recorded their first win in the group. Slovácko footballers, on the other hand, did not win the group even for the second time, and after a 3:3 home draw with Partizan Belgrade, they lost 2:4 to Kolín nad Rýnem.
At Eden, all five goals were scored in the opening action. The Kosovo champions twice took the lead after Ermal Krasniqi and Meriton Korenica scored, but Prague quickly equalized each time after Stivi Frasheri own goals and Peter Olayinka strikes. Even before the break, Lukáš Masopust turned things around. The visitors finished the game without the suspended Astrit Thaqi.
Slavia also won their fourth home match of the cup season and are in a winning mood for Sunday’s clash in Pilsen, which will be a direct battle for the top spot in the domestic competition. In the next match of the Conference League, the Czech vice-champion will meet Kluž on October 6. Only the teams from the first places in the groups will advance directly to the round of 16, the second in the ranking will face the third place which clubs in the Europa League one round earlier in the elimination phase. Slavia top the table on points ahead of Sivasspor.
The Slavist coach Trpišovský, like a week ago in Sivas, did not deploy a classic striker and usually put the winger Olayinka at the end. The first ever match between a Czech club and a Kosovar club in UEFA competitions had an offensive start. In the fourth minute, the home team came close to opening the scoring, but Schranz’s header from the center from the right hit the crossbar.
Ballkani, who, like Slavia, went through three opponents after being eliminated in the 1st preliminary round of the Champions League in the qualification of the Conference League, did not come to Eden just to defend and cause problems for the favorite with quick action after winning the ball. In the 17th minute, Krasniqi still missed a long-range shot, but six minutes later he could celebrate when, after another successful combination, he knocked the ball into the net from close range after Thaci’s low center.
Prague equalized within three minutes. David Jurásek entered the box from the left side and his ground cross from a wide angle was knocked into the net by goalkeeper Frasheri. However, in the 29th minute, the newcomers to the group stage of the European Cups surprised a packed Eden for the second time. The visitors got a bad pass, Rrahmani tapped Korenica and he himself didn’t think twice in front of Mandous.
Even for the second conceded goal, the red and white team found a quick answer. In the 34th minute, after Masopust’s pass, Olayinka finished a successful combination action with a shot under the crossbar and followed up the goal from last week in Sivas. The Nigerian all-rounder scored the 13th goal in the 51st cup match for Prague and became independent at the head of the historical club table before Tomáš Došek.
The celebrants rounded off the score before the break. Olayinka and Masopust switched roles in the 41st minute, and the latter, with the help of a defender’s run, got a lucky ball past the fallen goalkeeper.
After the change of sides, the chances were greatly reduced. The home team had a permanent advantage and tried to control the progress. In the 53rd minute, he missed Olayinka, although substitute Usor was not accurately aiming. The visitors didn’t threaten as much from the breaks as they did in the first, and not a single shot went past Mandouse in the second period.
In the 83rd minute, Douděra fired and Ballkani was stopped by the goalkeeper. Soon after, Thaqi sharply fouled Douděra, and French referee Delajod gave him a straight red card. In the end, Frasheri caught Ousou and Tiehi, but Prague kept the three points on the power play without any trouble even in the seven-minute setup.
Slavia is playing in the cup group for the sixth time in a row, in the spring in the first edition of the Conference League, it reached the quarterfinals. The final of the ongoing season of the third European club competition will be hosted by Eden next year.
Matches of the 2nd round of Group G of the Football European Conference League:
Slavia Prague – FC Ballkani 3:2 (3:2)
Goals: 26. own Frasheri, 34. Olayinka, 41. Masopust – 23. Krasniqi, 29. Korenica. Referee: Delajod – Finjean, Jeanne (all Fr.). ŽK: Tiéhi, Traoré, Schranz – Sinani. CK: 84. Thaqi (Balkani). Viewers: 18,156.
Gatherings:
Slavia: Mandous – Douděra, Ousou, Kačaraba, D. Jurásek (89. Ewerton) – Tiéhi, Provod (46. Traoré) – Masopust (46. Usor), Lingr (66. Tecl), Schranz (80. Oscar) – Olayinka . Instructor: Trpišovský.
Ballkani: Frasheri – Thaci, Sinani (86. Potoku), Jashanica, Thaqi – Korenica (77. Lucas), Dellova, Emerllahu – Gripshi, Rrahmani (67. Bekteshi), Krasniqi (77. Berisha). Coach: Come on.
Slovácko footballers lost to Kolín nad Rýnem 2:4 and did not win the EKL for the second time
Slovácko football players did not even win the second group match of the European Conference League. After an opening 3-3 home draw with Partizan Belgrade, they now lost 2-4 in Cologne, despite erasing a two-goal deficit. Coach Martin Svědík’s men are waiting for victory for six competitive matches and they are last in Group D, joined by Nice.
“Kozlíc” took a 2-0 lead in the first half after goals from Sargis Adamyan and Florian Dietz. The visitors equalized between the 49th and 52nd minutes thanks to Jan Kalabišek and Milan Petržel, but Kolín pulled one back thanks to Dejan Ljubicic’s converted penalty. Both players set the final score.
The team from Uherské Hradiště, starting the main stage of the cups for the first time, did not win even the third match in the competition against the German opponent. In 2003, he lost twice to Wolfsburg in the now defunct Intertoto Cup.
In contrast, Kolín did not lose against the Czech team even for the fifth time. In the 1967/68 season, Slavia defeated him in the Trade Fair Cup, and in the 1985/86 season in the UEFA Cup (now European League), another Prague team, Bohemians 1905.
Fryšták started in goal for the reigning Czech Cup winner. The guests began to be active. Pedersen produced a weak header and Egyptian midfielder Slovácko Duskí fired just wide from the penalty spot after 13 seconds of play.
However, the home team took the lead exactly 10 minutes after kick-off. Daníček needlessly kicked the ball past Fryšták for a corner kick. Maina found Kilian with a cross from him, whose header was cleared by Adamyan.
In the 26th minute, Havlík’s shot from behind the penalty area missed the goal. Mihálik got a good chance after Trávník’s pass, but goalkeeper Schwäbe stopped his attempt from the goal.
Then they also threatened “Kozlíc”. But Dietz finished imperfectly from close range after Maina’s pass in the 40th minute. Two minutes later, however, Kolín increased the score after action by both players, again after a corner kick, with Dietze unguarded at the near post.
At the other end, Duskí missed Schwäbe’s shot from an angle and Petržela missed the stop. The home team almost added a third strike, but Fryšták caught Ljubicic.
Less than four minutes after the break, Slovácko reduced the deficit. Petržel’s shot was still blocked by stopper Soldo, but Kalabiška scored with the help of a rebound from the crossbar. He followed up with his two goals against Partizan.
In the next three minutes, the visitors equalized. After a series of bounces, the ball reached Petržel, who gave Schwäbe no chance for a successful volley.
Currently, the eighth team of the Czech league even reached for a turnover, but the pressured Kalabiška was unable to finish from close range. After an hour of play, both players almost scored an own goal, but Fryšták intervened in time.
In the 64th minute, Ljubicic rushed into the box, fell after a fight with Hofmann, and referee Aranovskij whistled for a penalty kick. The Austrian representative took responsibility himself, sending Fryšták to the other side.
10 minutes later, the Bundesliga side added certain insurance when Maina found Ljubicic at the back post after a quick counter-attack.
Czech teams have not won in Germany in cups since September 2003 in the last 12 matches.
Matches of the 2nd round of Group D of the European Conference League:
Cologne – 1. FC Slovacko 4:2 (2:0)
Objectives: 65. from the pen. and 74. Ljubicic, 10. Adamyan, 42. Dietz – 49. Kalabiška, 52. Petržela. Referee: Aranovskij – Matyaš, Kucev (all Ukrainian). ŽK: Duda, Martel, Maina – Trávník, Svědík (coach). Viewers: 47,700.
Gatherings:
Cologne nR: Schwäbe – Schindler, Soldo (59. Hübers), Kilian, Pedersen (58. Hector) – Martel – Ljubicic (78. Thielmann), Duda (59. Schirí), Maina – Dietz (70. Tigges) , Adamyan. Coach: Baumgart.
Slovakia: Fryšták – Reinberk, Hofmann, Kadlec, Kalabiška – Petržela (84. Kohút), Trávník (72. Holzer), Daníček (34. Břečka), Havlík, Duskí (72. Sinjavskij) – Mihálik (84. Coach: Saksi.