Report from the match Sparta Prague – FC Hradec Králové: statistics, report
Sparta was begging for a goal in the seventh minute. Goalkeeper Kovář made a bad play, after which Hradec quickly went on the attack. At the end of it, he invited Vašulin Kubala, but Kovář caught him. In two minutes, Sparta responded with a standard situation played by Højer, after which the returnee to the Letenské Krejčí line-up headed in close to the goal.
However, the people of Prague did not learn from their mistakes. Krejčí was robbed of the ball by Kodeš in the 13th minute, Vašulín then started Kubala again, who this time knew his way around the end – 0:1. In the next twelve minutes, the visitors could score after a handsome one-touch combination. Along the Kubala-Rybiček-Smrž axis, the last-named finished, but he only hit the intervening Kovář.
Sparta’s unpleasant situation was definitely not eased by Čvančar, who unnecessarily and indiscriminately elbowed Kubala in the face at half-field, for which he saw a red card after the intervention of the video referee. Letenský thus finished only in ten, which the East Bohemians should have used in the 35th minute. Novotný looked for Vašulín in front of the goal from the left side, but he missed the shot between the three posts. On the other side, Højer shot seven minutes later, Hradec goalkeeper Reichl kicked the ball just in front of him, but Krejčí did not reach the target.
The home side started the second half much better. Seven minutes after the change of sides, Sadílk’s corner was unluckily raised by the head of the defending Vasúlin, so that Reichl could not collect the ball in his gloves. Instead, the ball went to Sørensen, who quickly headed into the open sanctuary – 1:1. Yes, Sparta survived a clinical death, when Kubala took advantage of the mistakes of the hesitant Zelený, but ended his rush on Kovař with a shot on the post.
In the 57th minute, Prague was already leading 2:1. Højer’s cross from the free kick went to Kucht, who headed it past Reichl from close range. The referees then examined the video for a long time to see if the center had not yet flown to Krejčí, which would have required Kucht to be whistled for offside. According to the footage on TV, it really seemed that Krejčí hit the ball with his head, but the main referee still recognized the goal.
Kubal could have equalized in the 66th minute, whose cross was addressed by Gabriel, but the striker headed just wide of the post. Hradec’s effort was then complicated by Smrž, who stopped Daňko’s progress with a hard tackle and immediately earned a red card from the referee. Nevertheless, the East Bohemians had one more promising opportunity, but Vašulín’s shot was stopped by Kovář.