DIRECT FROM ROMANIA | The series of duels that Sparta decided in the last minutes stretches to three. After the triumphs at Artis in the cup and in the league in Olomouc, which were brought about by Albion Rrahmani’s late interventions, the emphatic and accurate Matěj Ryneš split the clash in the Conference League in Craiova. He established the final score of 2:1 for Prague in the 89th minute. Letenští were able to recover from the unexpected blow that the home team inflicted on them with a shot from a distance.
The fog that covered the city with its incredibly elaborate Christmas markets has finally lifted. Not enough for planes to land in Craiova, but the conditions were fine for football. In them, Sparta managed the Conference League duel, even though they offered the opponent a few chances and let them equalize shortly before the end.
In the end, one of the men decided the match, Matěj Ryneš. His powerful left hand humbled the Romanian soc.
“I have to praise the players for their mentality after the equalizer. We stayed calm, in the game, we showed quality,” explained coach Brian Priske. At that moment, he already knew that the team from Romania would not fly out on Thursday night…
“We played a solid game in many ways. The equalizer was unexpected, the stadium started to press the home team. But the players stayed focused, which is the key,” praised the coach.
Letensi went for certainty of progress. They were better, although it was definitely not about total dominance. In addition, the opponents offered a few options to escape from failure. But more about them later.
Sparta was pulled forward by the one from whom it is expected. Captain Lukáš Haraslín played brilliantly from the start, his reverse loop caused by the key first touch destroyed the home defender. In addition, he crossed dangerously, for example, Rrahmani could convert one of his passes at the first post, but he did not reach the ball. Slovák’s corners also created a stir (just before half-time, Adam Ševínský had a great chance with a header) and long drives.
Actions from the parties were, after all, a Spartan brand. Both Albion Rrahmani and John Mercado were blocked after Matěj Ryneš’s cross. The second of them hit the crossbar with a sharp blow after a while.
Shot out of the lineup again
Sparta tightened the noose, it was most pronounced around the break. Ševínský’s opportunity has already been mentioned, Haraslín made his way into two more – once he headed over, the second time he couldn’t manage the processing.
In the 50th minute, however, he played a key role in the decisive moment. Sivert Mannsverk pressed well, Rrahmani gave the ball to the left to Haraslín, who returned it to him after two loops. The Kosovar shooter scored with his famous putter. Patrik Vydra could decide, he directed his head wide from the small goal.
And so, in the end, Sparta’s defensive missteps did not pay off. “They had a few chances because of our turnovers, but I think otherwise we defended well,” assessed Priske.
Already during the first half, she got herself into three very tricky moments. The young stoppers Ševínský and Vydra had a hand in it, and this time Asger Sörensen led them in the defensive trio.
Filip Panák did not get into the lineup for the third time in a row, in the last five games he only played a scary half-hour against Pardubice. In an embarrassing game, Priske withdrew it before the break, which is definitely humiliating.
In Craiov, Ševínský got the team into trouble first. He made a mistake in the pass, the opponent could shoot from inside the penalty area. The shot from the angle was blocked by Peter Vindahl. After that, Vydra played laxly at the line, the opponent poked the ball and moved with it to the goal. The instep shot was noticeably off, but the position was at least acceptable.
Sparta fell into the worst mood in the 34th minute. Ševínský tripped one of the home team’s legs, foul. The referee immediately pointed to the penalty, but there was a long investigation as to whether the offside had taken place first. It wasn’t like that. Anzor Mekvabishvili, the leader of the home midfield, saved the visitors. He sent the ball over the goal.
Vindahl did not take a clean sheet despite this boost. In the 79th minute, Santiago Eneme defended Steven Nsimba from the wrong side, he turned towards the goal and after a while shot from some twenty-three meters. The ball swam, but did not fly to the post, yet the Danish goalkeeper did not intervene.
However, Ryneš reacted and Sparta’s chances of breaking into the elite eight increased. Now he has ten points on his account, eleven was enough for one team last year. “We are happy to have the opportunity to play for the eight in our stadium,” said Priske. The last duel awaits the Reds next Thursday at Letná with Aberdeen.
Sparta’s match was in jeopardy, the stadium was covered in fog. Memories of Rijeka came to life
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