Footballers leading Pilsen lost to Sparta 0:1 at home in the 15th round of the first league and lost in the top competition for the first time since last October after 35 matches. The defending champions have a four-point lead over Slavia at the top of the incomplete table, who will welcome Ostrava on Sunday.
The heated match was decided in the 82nd minute by visiting captain David Pavelka. Letenští partially recovered their appetite after the last 0:4 debacle in the Prague derby with Slavia, and they lose nine points from the third place to the West Bohemian leader.
In the league, Sparta won in Pilsen after 13 duels and for the first time since August 2011. Both teams have Wednesday’s play-offs to spare, Viktoria plays a newcomer from Brno and Prague will challenge Slovácko in a replay of the last domestic cup final.
“It was a tough game. The most important thing is that I saw emotion, heart, desire and courage in the players to play such a big game. I give my players the most credit for today’s performance,” Spartans coach Brian Priske said at a press conference.
“Of course, it’s unpleasant, because we knew that we were very strong at home. We played with Sparta, our competitor for the highest places. Unfortunately, we didn’t succeed, we didn’t take care of one standard and we lost,” added home coach Michal Bílek.
Winger Mosquera returned to the Pilsen starting line-up after a card punishment. Sparta, which was playing its first competitive match after 13 days, was missing defender Höjer in addition to the injured captain Krejčí Jr. In the unconventional 3-4-3 formation, defensive players Zelený and Panák also got a chance, while Kuchta and Čvančara started in attack.
The guests started better and created their first chance in the seventh minute. Mejdr found Kuchta in the penalty area and he finished a short distance away. Pilsen gradually leveled the game. In the 20th minute, Pernica headed over the crossbar by himself in front of the goal. Sparta defended well in the rest of the half, the home team did not allow another chance and could open the scoring in the 38th minute. However, Panák’s header was reflexively saved by goalkeeper Staněk.
Shortly before the break, Chorý hit Sörensen in the head with a header, but referee Černý did not call the home striker a foul and video referee Franěk did not interfere in the game either. According to the LFA referees’ commission, Chorý should have been expelled for “intentionally hitting an opponent with the head”. The commission also stated on its Twitter that Franěk was withdrawn from the nomination for Sunday’s Slavia – Ostrava match and the gross mistake in Pilsen will be reflected in his future nominations.
“I told the referee at halftime that it was a big mistake and it should have been a red card. VAR didn’t do what it was supposed to do. A definite red card for me,” Priske said. According to his counterpart, Bílek, he did not see Choré’s intervention, so he did not comment on it.
After the change of sides, the home team threatened, but Vlkanov’s shot was saved by goalkeeper Kovář. On the other side, Zelený headed wide. After a long passage full of personal battles and inaccuracies in the 80th minute, the ball fell to Havel from a corner, from which it bounced just past the Spartan goal. “It was more of a fight than some nice football, there weren’t many chances,” said Bílek, who worked as a player and coach in Sparta.
In two minutes, the Praguers opened the scoring. After Sadílko’s corner, the ball fell to the free Pavelko, who beat Staňko with a volley. The Spartan midfielder scored the first league goal of the season. “I know that it somehow fell on the back post and I concentrated on not sending it to the stands again, as I have done about eighty times this year. So I mainly wanted to hit the goal, not to give such a blow,” described Pavelka.
The home team did not get to the final pressure and did not score at their stadium after 31 matches. The last time Liberec won against Sparta in the Doosan Arena in the league was last February with a result of 2:0.
Viktoria Plzeň – Sparta Prague 0:1 (0:0)
Goal: 82. Pavelka. Referee: Černý – Hájek, Antoníček – Franěk (video). ŽK: Mosquera, Hejda – Pavelka, Mejdr, Priske (coach), Kovář. Spectators: 10,898.
Pilsen: Staněk – Havel, Hejda, Pernica, Jemelka – Bucha, Kalvach – Jirka (84. Bassey), Vlkanova (87. Dedič), Mosquera – Chorý. Coach: Bílek.
Sparta: Kovář – Vitík, Panák, Sörensen – Mejdr, Sadílek, Pavelka, Zelený – Čvančara (90.+2 Juliš), Kuchta (73. Minčev), Haraslín (62. Daněk). Coach: Priske.
