The players of Sparta did not keep the lead and lost 1:3 to Dinamo Zagreb in the opening game of the final 4th preliminary round of the European League. After being eliminated in last week’s Champions League qualifiers, the Praguers are close to the end in the second cup competition as well, they are assured of at least participation in the European Conference League. The rematch with the Croatian team is scheduled for a week.
Ladislav Krejčí put the Czech champions in the lead at the Maksimir Stadium in the 39th minute from a penalty, but Dario Špikič equalized before the end of the first half, and Dino Perič completed the conversion after less than an hour of play. Immediately, Luka Ivanušec added the third goal for the home team. Home coach Sergej Jakirovič, who replaced the dismissed Igor Bishčin on Monday, experienced a winning debut.
“We did not want such a result, the return in Prague will be difficult. We saw the quality of Dynamo. It developed well for us, we scored the first goal, but unfortunately we conceded at the break. The leading goal could have given us a good position for the second half,” he said on press conference by the Danish coach of Sparta Brian Priske.
Sparta did not beat Dinamo even in the third competitive match, in the 2008/09 season they drew with them twice in the first round of the UEFA Cup (today’s EL), but Zagreb advanced to the group thanks to the then rule about goals scored on the opponent’s field.
The teams reached the 4th qualifying round of the EL after failing to qualify for the Champions League; Dinamo knocked out Astana in the 2nd preliminary round, but then fell short against AEK Athens in the next stage, while Sparta failed in a dramatic home replay against FC Copenhagen on penalties.
As expected, captain Livakovič was missing in Dinamo’s goal, as he is leaving for Fenerbahce Istanbul. He was replaced by Nevistič, for whom it was the competitive debut of the season. Priske fielded the expected line-up, only in the power forward position surprisingly Olatunja was given preference at the expense of Kuchta. The Nigerian player earned his first start for Sparta in the starting eleven.
The home team threatened after less than two minutes, Petkovič pushed the ball to Baturin and his sharp shot from outside the box ended up on the post. After that, nothing interesting happened for a long time, but in the 36th minute, Birmančević crossed into the box and Perič played with his hand in a duel with Krejčí. After a while, the video referee entered the game and the Italian referee Guida, after watching the replays, ordered a penalty kick. Krejčí stood up to him and the Spartan captain did not hesitate, unlike in the penalty shootout with Copenhagen.
“I knew I was going to go for it, it was a penalty like any other. I believed in it like all the previous ones,” said the 24-year-old Krejčí.
Before the end of the first half, however, the guests lost the lead. Kairinen lost the ball on the half-way line, Petkovič launched a quick counterattack and Špikič beat the outrunning Vindahl by finishing at the far post. “When you lose the lead before the break… You have to close it and go to the cabin with a 1-0 lead. Then the second half could have looked different,” said Priske.
At the end of the second half, Olatunji got to the ball in the penalty area, but defender Moharramí blocked his shot for a corner. On the opposite side, Baturina headed above the lime.
In the 58th minute, the winner of the last six years of the Croatian league turned the score around. Vindahl stopped Petkovič’s header and Ivanušica’s cross, but he was powerless against Perič. In the next three minutes, the home team struck for the third time. Ivanušec exchanged the ball with Ljubičić and made no mistake with a ground shot at the far post.
“For the third conceded goal, the players spread out unnecessarily, after losing the ball there was too much of a gap between the stopper trio and the attackers. When you do that, you give the opponent a chance to strike from the break,” said Priske.
In the next chance, Ivanušec narrowly missed, then the substitute Stojkovič finished similarly. In the 79th minute, the ball reached a completely alone Kucht on the edge of the penalty area, but his weak attempt ended up in Nevistič’s arms. Another incoming Spartan’s shot from the Laci bench ended up wide.
Sparta failed to win the cups for the seventh time in a row and since the 2012/13 season they have not won away from home in the preliminary rounds of the cups for 17 games in a row. Dinamo did not lose even the fifth match at home in cups against Czech teams.
Opening match of the 4th preliminary round of the European Football League:
Dinamo Zagreb – Sparta Prague 3:1 (1:1)
Goals: 44. Špikič, 58. Perič, 61. Ivanušec – 39. Krejčí z pen. Referees: Guida – Bindoni, Tegoni – Colombo (video, all It.). ŽK: Baturina – Laci. Spectators: 12,170.
Dinamo: Nevistič – Moharramí, Ristovski, Perič (86. Šutalo), Ljubičič – Špikič (65. Emreli), Mišič, Baturina (65. Stojkovič), Bulat (75. Sučič), Ivanušec (86. Mychajličenko) – Petkovič. Coach: Jakirovic.
Sparta: Vindahl – Sörensen, Panák, Krejčí – Wiesner, Kairinen, Sadílek (68. Laci), Zelený (82. Ryneš) – Birmančevič (68. Pešek), Haraslín (62. Minčev) – Olatunji (62. Kuchta). Coach: Priske.
Opening match of the 4th preliminary round of the European Football League:
Häcken – Aberdeen 2:2 (1:0), Ludogorets Razgrad – Ajax Amsterdam 1:4 (0:3), Olimpija Ljubljana – Karabakh 0:2 (0:2), Saint-Gilloise (Belgium) – Lugano 2: 0 (1:0), Slovan Bratislava – Aris Limassol 2:1 (1:0), Klaksvík (Faeroe Islands) – Sheriff Tiraspol 1:1 (0:0),
2023-08-24 20:05:52
#Sparta #led #Dinamo #burned #defense #leading #defeat #Zagreb
