PHOTO: Teplice gained a decent lead against Liberec. Kozel retires after the season

After a boring and tactically bound first half, the decently packed Stínadly started to play at a brisk pace. The tied match was marked by the 57th minute, when Teplice’s best scorer Daniel Fila hit the ball behind the penalty area and sent his team into the lead with his tenth goal of the season. “We know that we scored two long-range goals against Nisa in the fall. I encouraged the players to try it,” Teplice coach Zdenko Frťala admitted.

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Slovan tried with all its might to equalize, but the concentrated defense of the home team resisted in some places, even with luck. “We had a good period after that first goal, but it ended with an injury to Kulenović and a missed penalty. The conceded goal was scored because we let the home team into a quick transition,” noted Kozel from Liberec.

In the set-up, the yellow-blue team’s lead was secured by substitute Havelka, who defeated Bačkovský with another superb rocket sent from behind the penalty area. “We cannot be satisfied. Unfavorable result. In my opinion, it does not correspond to the course of the match,” the captain of the Liberec squad was angry.

Teplický Frťala beamed with satisfaction. “It is important for us that we won 2:0. Liberec showed that they are a quality team that was thinking about the top six. Nothing easy awaits us with him in a week.”

Madness at Teplice training. Two thousand children danced, conducted by boilermen

Luboš Kozel believes that Slovan will be able to turn around the unfavorable development of the semi-final series. “We are stronger at home. We’ve got it. We must not allow them what we did today and be better offensively. In this, the home team were better, more straightforward. We combined at the corner flag.”

Kozel announced to journalists at the post-match press conference that he will retire from Liberec after the end of the season. “It’s not my decision. I didn’t want to say it in public, but it’s already leaked. I don’t know from where, only three people knew. Now we will try to pass through Teplice, my end does not affect my work.”

FK Teplice – Slovan Liberec 2:0 (0:0)

Goals: 56. Fila, 90.+2 Havelka. Referee: Všetečka – Kubr, Ratajová – Berka (video). ŽK: Gning, Kríčfaluši – Mikula, Doumbia. Viewers: 4954.

Teplice: Ludha – Mareček, Knapík, Mičevič – Švanda (86. Radosta), Kričfaluši, Jukl, Labík – Trubač (86. Havelka) – Gning (67. Čerepkai), Fila. Trainer: Frftala.

Liberec: Bačkovský – Mikula, Chaluš, Purzitidis – Fukala, Prebsl, Tetour (60. Doumbia), Preisler (60. Višinský) – Ghali, Tupta (83. Rabušic) – Kulenovič (75. Horský). Coach: Kozel.