The sold-out Andra stadium watched the clear dominance of Sparta in the 30th round of FORTUNA:LIGA. She ruled on the field and in the audience. They scored an important three points in the fight for the title after a 4:1 victory. Krejčí directed them to victory with a converted penalty, who also added a second hit. After changing sides, Birmančevič and Kuchta added more goals. Šíp managed to reduce it.
Sigma coach Jiří Saňák had a lot of absences. He could not use Novák, Beneš, Navrátil, Sláma, Růsk, Křišťál or Fortelný and Spáčil. On the other hand, Brian Priske was missing Vitík or Preciado.
Sigma fans marched through the city: large turnout and protests at the stadium
In the sixth minute, the Spartan fans, who filled the entire northern stand, had reason to rejoice for the first time. Krejčí found Kuchta with a cross and he beat Stoppen with his head. But the goal fell from offside, so the score remained goalless.
In the twelfth minute, the visiting fans dressed in special T-shirts and created a tricolor in the colors of Sport – blue, yellow and red on the northern stand.
Sigma threatened for the first time in the seventeenth minute after a standard situation, when Pokorný returned the ball in front of the goal, but Zifčák missed.
On the other side, Birmančevič occupied the defense, Kuchta’s shot was blocked for a corner from which Krejčí headed over.
In the 25th minute, Chvátal had the best chance, who was found by Zorvan, but the Slovakian defender faced Vindahl and aimed wide, and Zifčák missed the ball in a slide.
And so came the punishment. On the other side, the ball was aimed at Kuchta, Pokorný went into the slide unnecessarily and tripped the Sparta striker. Referee Ondřej Pechanec did not hesitate for a moment and whistled the penalty. The captain of the guests Krejčí stepped up to that, he adjusted the ball on the spot and even though Stoppen knew the direction, he did not reach the shot and Sparta led.
PHOTO and VIDEO: The red wave was delayed, but then it swept through Olomouc
In the 33rd minute it was already 2:0. Kairinen took a corner kick, Stoppen went for a cross he didn’t have and Krejčí headed the ball into an empty net.
“Sparta were excellent for five minutes, they scored from offside, then we eliminated them. Efficiency was the key. We didn’t give our chance and then we got a goal from an unfortunate penalty, Sparta got comfortable and then it looked clear,” Sigma Olomouc coach Jiří Saňák assessed.
Right at the start of the second half, it could have been definitively decided. Wiesner found Haraslín, who stuck the ball, passed to Kucht in front of an empty goal, but he missed and missed the goal with his left foot.
Sparta was in control of the game and in the 53rd minute Ryneš found Birmančevič, who handled the ball in the goal and hit the back post. The Sparta players could thus enjoy the celebrations in front of their cauldron.
Sparta performed a wonderful action in the 66th minute. The series of short passes ended with a perpendicular to Krejčí, although he was not able to finish, but Kuchto found the free ball and tipped it over the goalkeeper Stoppen. Sparta fans subsequently chanted: “Spartans, screw them” and “Kuchta Belmondo”.
Pokorný could have corrected the result a quarter of an hour before the end, but Pospíšil’s cross did not hit the back post. But the correction came after all. Right after this action, Pospíšil found Šíp and he lowered Vindahl with his head against the movement. Even though the visiting goalkeeper reached for the ball, Šíp could celebrate the first league goal in his career.
Zifčák could have dramatized the duel, but when he escaped, it took him a while to finish and the Sparta stopper managed to block his shot.
“We regret the loss. The three points clearly belong to Sparta, but we see the team’s potential for the future. We have our limits,” concluded Saňák.
Despite the defeat, Sigma finished in eighth place after the regular season and will play a double-header with ninth-ranked Hradec Králové in the extension group for the Conference League. The opening match will be played away.
SK Sigma Olomouc – AC Sparta Prague 1:4 (0:2)
Goals: 75. Arrow – 28. from pen. and 33. Krejčí, 53. Birmančevič, 66. Kuchta.
Referee: Pechanec – Caletka, Kříž – Všetečka (video). ŽK: Julis – Wiesner. Spectators: 12,359.
Olomouc: Stoppen – Pokorný, Matys, Vraštil (69. Ventúra) – Uriča, Breite (90. Hadaš), Pospíšil, Chvátal – Zorvan (69. Langer), Zifčák (90. Fiala) – Juliš (54. Šíp). Coach: Jiří Saňák.
Sparta: Vindahl – Sörensen, Panák, Krejčí – Wiesner, Kairinen, Sadílek (61. Laci), Ryneš (61. Zelený) – Birmančevič (69. Karabec), Kuchta (69. Olatunji), Haraslín (82. Pešek). Coach: Brian Priske.
