Watching Kinsky distribute the ball and realizing our crop of young goalkeepers are better on the ball than our midfielders..
Holes gets completely turned as Lille gets goal 2. Hard to see Slavia overcoming this margin at home.
FT Lille 2 - 0 Slavia Prague Fair scoreline, Slavia weren't completely overrun but they were definitely outplayed. I think Slavia could have over come 1 goal deficit, but this will probably see them drop to Europa League.
Slavia were totally outclassed and based on what I saw yesterday, have little to no chance of advancing. They didn’t play well yes, but Lille were on another level entirely that even surprised me as someone unfamiliar with them. It’s yet another reminder to Trpisovsky that they can’t continue to rely upon any of Masopust, Boril, Sevcik, or Jurecka in Europe. I’d even add in Schranz to this category who clearly is starting for his Euros performances and nothing else. He’s an otherwise ordinary player that should be obvious to sell if there’s any overpay offer (and surely there had to be post-Euros).
Sparta will have a much easier opponent, but I just think they concede too easily to actually think they are as favored as they should be.
Yeah, Sparta are barely favourites for me as well, but they at least have the one-two punch of Haraslin and Birmancevivc that can directly influence a result with individual brilliance. If we use Lille as a benchmark for speed and technical ability at this level, then Sparta are much closer to them than Slavia. Only issue is they’re hardly any better defensively than Mlada Boleslav.
To sum up this first round: Lille were better than I thought, Malmo worse than I thought. But credit to Sparta for a gutsy away win, the kind I was skeptical they could pull off. By no means is this tie over just yet.
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Olatunji is an incredible physical force, especially when he’s bulldozing through a defence, but his technique and composure on the ball is still a big work in progress. He definitely got through the youth levels with the “kick and run” strategy.
Yes, although from what I've seen in the European matches kick and run is better than Kuchta's current offering of loaf about and avoid the ball... Would be nice to see the new signing soon though.
It’s a nice contrast in style to Haraslin and Birmancevic for sure, and the way Sparta likes to open up play and stretch defences, it can be quite effective to just run up the field. I almost think he’s what Slavia wanted in Tijani, expect Tijani was simply slower and worse. And yeah, Kuchta was already avoiding the ball and shying away from aerial duels in that opening game versus Portugal and doesn’t seem to have changed since. I have to think he and Preciado are more likely to leave than Vitik at this point.
Still hoping the Sparta can win this leg outright for the coefficient points, but it is certainly looking like the long Champions League drought is coming to an end.
That’ll do it. Well done Sparta! That’s then three teams guaranteed in Europe as Plzen already have Conference League secured?
Into the group stages they go, first time since 2005. Yep, the big 3 are all guaranteed a group stage. Mlada Boleslav are not completely out of it either as they go into the 2nd leg level.
My Guess is it will be Sparta -> Champions League (done) Slavia and Plzen -> Europa League Mlada Boleslav -> back to the Skoda factory Banik Ostrava -> somewhere practicing penalties
Slavia aren't done yet, Zafeiris cuts the aggregate deficit in half inside 6 minutes, finishing off a better attacking move than they managed during the full 90 in France.
Now this looks more like vintage Slavia in Europe - high intensity pressing and endless running to overwhelm the opponent. However, it still feels that their effort far outweighs their quality and I wonder if they’ll be able to sustain this pace throughout the second half.
And then the dagger stab to end it, 76' Lille score 1-1. Would have been a different match if Chory had scored that sitter.