The footballers of Prague’s Slavia did not advance to the semifinals of the European League and did not equal their cup maximum. The Czech champion in the home rematch of the quarterfinals lost to Arsenal 0: 4 high and after an outside draw 1: 1 he dropped out.
The London team decided in Eden by three goals between the 18th and 24th minute, when they hit Nicolas Pépé, Alexandre Lacazette from the penalty and Bukayo Saka. After the change of sides, Lacazette prevailed for the second time.
As in the first duel in London, the Slavists were missing three trackers and Holeš, who had recently been in reserve, took the place again in the middle of the defense. Among other things, Kúdela’s quarterback, who was awarded a ten-match penalty by UEFA for racist insult to an opponent in the round of 16 against the Glasgow Rangers, was also missing.
After a promising 1: 1 draw from the first match, the Prague team wanted to keep a clean sheet as long as possible, but they did not succeed at all. They had Arsenal force his game and soon lost. In the 14th minute, after Sak’s shot into the bar and the subsequent arrival of Smith Rowe, the video referee revealed a tight offside, but four minutes later Pépé prevailed in front of Kolář. The visiting winger followed the goal from the first duel.
In the 20th minute, Hromada fouled in the lime and Lacazette increased the penalty. Arsenal, which ranks ninth in the Premier League, missed offensive star Aubameyang due to malaria, yet dominated the offensive in Eden. After another hesitation of the Slavic defense in the 24th minute, Saka stretched and with a shot on the front post, he overcame Kolář. The Red and Whites experienced the worst half in history in the home cup match.
Coach Trpišovský changed four times during the break and sent, among other things, 18-year-old Višinský to the lawn for the cup premiere. Arsenal clearly controlled the development and in the 77th minute prevailed for the fourth time. Lacazette took advantage of Winter’s slip and burned Kolář.
The fifth goal could have been given by a substitute Martinelli, but narrowly missed. The Reds White did not score Arsenal in the third of four UEFA duels, and in 2007 they suffered the highest debacle on the European stage so far (0: 7).
Slavia did not build on the previous two rounds, in which it eliminated other island units Leicester and Glasgow Rangers. This year, the Red and Whites earned about 400 million crowns in cups.
Slavia played the quarterfinals for the fifth time on the European stage and failed for the fourth time. She only reached the semifinals in 1996, when she set the top maximum of Czech clubs in independent history by participating in the top four teams in the UEFA Cup.
Slavia lost after 23 matches and for the first time since December. On the European stage at home, she suffered a four-goal defeat for the second time in history, in 2009 she lost to Lille 1: 5. Today’s drop-out means that Czech football will have only four instead of the current five representatives in the cups in the next season 2022/23.
Final matches of the quarterfinals of the European Football League:
Slavia Prague – Arsenal FC 0: 4 (0: 3)
Goals: 21. with pen. and 77. Lacazette, 18. Pépé, 24. Saka. Judges: Cakir – Duran, Ongun – Bitigen (video, all Tur.). ZK: Hromada, Olayinka – Martinelli. No spectators. First match: 1: 1, Arsenal advanced.
Slavia: Kolář – Bah (46. Višinský), Holeš, Zima, Bořil (46. Oscar) – Hromada (46. Masopust) – Ševčík, Stanciu (46. Lingr), Provod, Olayinka – Kuchta (71. Tecl). Coach: Trpišovský.
Arsenal: Leno – Chambers, Holding, Marí, Xhaka – Partey (78. Cédric Soares), Ceballos – Saka (78. Martinelli), Smith Rowe (67. Alnaní), Pépé (88. Balogun) – Lacazette (78. Nketiah) . Trainer: Arteta.
Villarreal – Dinamo Zagreb 2: 1 (2: 0)
Goals: 26. Alcácer, 43. Moreno – 74. Oršič. First match: 1: 0, advanced to Villarreal.
AS Roma – Ajax Amsterdam 1: 1 (0: 0)
Goals: 72. Džeko – 49. Brobbey. First match: 2: 1, Rome advanced.
Manchester United – Granada 2:0 (1:0)
Goals: 6. Cavani, 90th own Vallejo. First match: 2: 0, Manchester advanced.
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