Slavia and Sparta Prague are two of the biggest football clubs in the Czech Republic, and their matches are always highly anticipated. Before the recent derby, experts agreed that Slavia had a stronger team and a more developed playing style than Sparta. However, in the derby itself, Sparta showed better performance on the field.
Sparta has brought in new players, but Slavia has undergone some changes as well, which can be seen in their performance. Slavia needs some time for the new players to adapt to the system and the demanding coaching style of Jindra Trpišovský. Once they get used to it, they will be able to catch up with Sparta during the autumn season.
Slavia’s coach, Jindřich Trpišovský, pointed out that three key players from the starting lineup – David Jurásek, Peter Olayinka, and Ondřej Lingr – have left the club and are now playing in the Champions League. This is a testament to the training and player development at Slavia. They don’t send players to lower-tier teams. However, the departure of these high-quality players has created a gap that their replacements need to fill.
Sparta had a fantastic match in Hradec Králové, even with ten players on the field. They played very cleverly, held their ground, and didn’t let themselves be pushed back. This was especially impressive considering they had just come from a tough match in Seville. Adam Karabec scored two beautiful goals and showed his value to the team. It’s almost unnecessary to mention Kucha’s wonderful goal.
However, Hradec Králové’s coach, Václav Kotal, who I know well from his playing career, was disappointed. He is extremely demanding of himself and his players. When you play the majority of the match against ten players, you expect to create pressure and force the opponent to defend. But Hradec Králové didn’t really trouble Sparta at all. I understand his disappointment, but I have to highlight the immense strength of Sparta, who handled the situation well.
In Liberec, Slavia was already losing by two goals after ten minutes, which is inexplicable to many. Transitioning from European competitions to domestic ones is always difficult, especially after Douděra’s statement about „parking the bus,“ which fired up the home team. Slavia had a slow start in the match, and I noticed a significant difference in their dynamics. It took them some time to get going.
The goals they conceded came from defensive mistakes that could have been avoided. Sometimes, when you’re under pressure and everyone is crowded around the penalty area, there’s nothing else you can do but clear the ball. It would be nice to play possession football and dominate the opponent like Barcelona, but in such situations, you have to fight for the ball. Then you need to consolidate the team and organize defensively. But if you’re disorganized and the opponent keeps sending crosses into the box, you have to clear the ball decisively.
After the defeat in Karviná, there was a change in Liberec’s goal, with Bačkovský replacing Vliegen, who conceded five goals. Coach Luboš Kozel didn’t express any lack of confidence in Vliegen; he just wanted to ease the pressure on him. It wasn’t the only unsuccessful match for Liberec; they have been without a win for a while.
I know both goalkeepers from Sparta, and Vliegen was actually on trial at Liberec. I don’t like how Hugo Bačkovský is criticized for his height. He is dynamic, has great anticipation, and isn’t afraid to go into challenges. He collected several dangerous crosses, and there was nothing he could do about the goals he conceded.
There has been a lot of talk about the penalty for Preisler’s handball, which allowed Slavia to equalize. It’s a difficult decision, and I wouldn’t want to be the referee even for an incredible amount of money. Before the season starts, there are seminars on what should be considered a handball and what shouldn’t, at what angle the arm should be, how far it should be from the body, etc. If that’s how it’s defined, then it should be called, but it should be consistent for all teams in every match. Otherwise, there will be immediate speculation, which we don’t want.
I hope that Plzeň’s goalkeeper, Jindra Staněk, will be okay and continue to perform well. He showed great courage in the clash, and I don’t blame Drchal for any intention; it was an unfortunate accident. Goalkeepers have to go for such challenges; they want to help the team.
In the match against Mladá Boleslav,
