Illustration photo – Match of the 4th round of the first football league superstructure, group for the title: 1. FC Slovácko – Sparta Prague, May 23, 2023, Uherské Hradiště.
Prague – The first football league will culminate in the last fifth round of the superstructure this weekend. The champion has already been decided since Tuesday, when Sparta won the title after nine years. After Saturday's home match with Pilsen, the people of Prague will take over the champion's cup. Sunday's duel between the two worst teams in the table between the last Brno and the fifteenth Zlín will determine the only direct relegation, a draw is enough for the visiting “Shoes” to avoid falling one competition lower. In the group for the title, between Bohemians 1905 and Slovácko, the fourth place and the remaining participant in the cups will be decided by distance, “Klokanis” have a significantly better position.
Advertisement'; }
Photo gallery: First Football League 2022/23
After Tuesday's 0:0 draw in Uherské Hradiště, the Spartans completed the first wave of celebrations and the next one awaits them on Saturday. After the match with Plzeň in a sold-out stadium, they will receive the winning trophy and then move to the neighboring Letenská plain, where the program with the fans will continue. An improvised stage will be built on the spot, on which the whole team will gradually come.
The Spartans believe that they will not spoil the celebrations on the field and will extend their league unbeaten streak to 22 games. They won over Plzní Letenští in both previous matches of the season, at the end of April 2:1 thanks to a penalty in the set-up.
“I'm looking forward to seeing a packed Letna on Saturday. We're going to see a lot of happy people looking forward to lifting the cup. It's going to be a great feeling and a great day for everyone. The players have had time off after the title but now we have one more match we want to win,” said Sparta's Danish coach Brian Priske. “We want to win and finish the league with the maximum possible number of points. We will not just play it out,” added midfielder Lukáš Sadílek.
Pilsen finish the year with the certainty of third place in a deep depression – they did not score in six rounds in a row and suffered defeat in the last three duels. The match at Letné will be the final one on the bench of the West Bohemians for former Sparta coach Michal Bílek, who will finish his season in Victoria.
The last place in the survival group will be decided, which is the only one that means direct relegation. The newcomer from Brno fell to the bottom of the table after Wednesday's draw in Teplice and needs to beat Zlín, who has one more point, to prevent a return to the second league. Zbrojovka has not won in seven rounds and is the worst team in the competition at home.
Although Brno have not lost against Zlín this season, they have won only one of the last six league matches between them. “Now everything we are playing for is graduating. Every game we were under pressure, now we are under the greatest. Paradoxically, the fact that we have to play to win is easier for the players' heads. The calculation that a point is enough is no longer valid. I believe that the home environment will be an advantage. We still have it in our hands,” said Brno coach Martin Hašek, after whose arrival in April Zbrojovka won only one match.
Zlín won twice in a row 2:1 and left the last place in the table after a hard-fought victory over Ostrava on Wednesday. “Shoemakers” have drawn three times in a row in the league in Brno, but have not won there in the last 10 games. The worst away team in the competition needs a point to avoid direct relegation. “However, it would be a huge risk to play only for a draw and wait to see if we can kick it or not. We will want to win in Brno,” noted Zlín coach Pavel Vrba.
The more successful of the teams will face a playoff for the highest competition, which will also be played by Pardubice. The fourteenth and fifteenth teams will defend their affiliation to the elite in a battle with the second and third teams from the second league. Pardubice will be fine-tuning their form for the tie in Ostrava, which leads the group for survival and already has a certain retention, just like Jablonec with Teplice. North Bohemian clubs will be fighting for 12th place.
In the group for the title, it remains to unravel who will become the last fourth participant of the European Cups. Bohemians and Slovácko remain in the game. A significantly better position is held by Prague, who have a two-point advantage over the team from Uherské Hradiště in fourth place, and to advance to the cups for the first time since the division of the federation, they only need to draw at home with sixth-placed Olomouc.
For Slovácko, in that case, even victory at Slavia. After the last round, the Red and Whites lost the rest of their hopes for the title and will finish second for the second time in a row. In the final match, he will say goodbye to winger Peter Olayinka, who will leave Eden after the season. At home, Slavia won 16 out of 17 matches of the league year.
“When it's this close, we already want to prove it. It's great that we have it in our hands. We don't want to speculate and calculate on the results, we want to win. Olomouc is unpleasant outside, motivated. it's in us,” said Bohemians coach Jaroslav Veselý.
Votes before the matches of the 5th round of the extension part of the first football league
Group for the title:
Sparta Prague (1st in the table) – Viktoria Plzeň (3rd)
Brian Priske (Sparta coach): “I'm looking forward to seeing a packed Letna on Saturday. We're going to see a lot of happy people looking forward to lifting the cup. It's going to be a great feeling and a great day for everyone. The players have had time off after the title but now we have one more match we want to win.”
Michal Bílek (Pilsen coach): “I will remember my engagement in Pilsen positively. The first year and a half was fantastic, but now the six months are very bad. We are eating it up to the bottom, we don't have results. I am sorry that I am leaving at a time when things are obviously not going well. We wanted to say goodbye victoriously at home with Bohemka, which unfortunately did not work out for us, so we would like to end the season as best as possible at Sparta.”
Slavia Prague (2nd) – 1. FC Slovácko (5th)
< strong>Jindřich Trpišovský (Slavia coach): “I would like us to say goodbye the way we presented ourselves in Eden all season. With offensive play, attractive football, good movement, to play with taste. I want us to offer people a great spectacle and, of course, victory. Slovácko is one of the most unpleasant teams in the league, giving consistent, great performances. They concede few goals, they are dangerous in attacking standard situations. They are always well prepared for their opponents, which they show now against strong teams. For them, a match that suits them. Extremely difficult opponent.”< /p>
Jan Palinek (coach Slovácko's assistant): “The hope for fourth place and a repeat of the European Cups is only theoretical, which we regret. We are saying goodbye to the league at Slavia, where we are going with open sights and with the goal of succeeding there. We know that the home team is no longer important, but it will not play a role. Slavia will want to say goodbye to their fans successfully and in such a way as to confirm their own prestige.”
Bohemians Praha 1905 (4th) – Sigma Olomouc (6th)
Jaroslav Veselý (Bohemians coach): “The players are aware of what we are after. When it is this close, we already want to prove it. It is great that we have it in our hands. We do not want to speculate and calculate on the results, we want to win. Olomouc is uncomfortable outside, motivated. Once again we have to squeeze out everything we have.”
Václav Jílek (coach of Olomouc): “We are going to Bohemians with the understanding that we cannot improve our sixth place. But it is certainly not the case that we are going to Prague just to finish the competition. On the contrary, we are going there to fight for victory. We have already spread the load on several players in previous matches. We have new two players carded, to which I must also add some health problems. We will also be based on the game typology of the opponent, who is playing for fourth place.”
Rescue group:
Baník Ostrava (11. ) – FK Pardubice (14th)
Pavel Hapal (coach of Ostrava): “It's a bit of an unreadable game for us, because Pardubice play a playoff next week and it's hard to predict what line-up they'll start with. We want to play the best possible game. It's important for us because the season wasn't optimal. We played some games better, some worse. We will do everything to say goodbye with dignity. We will go into the match fully and want to win.”
Radoslav Kováč (coach of Pardubice): “The boys are incredibly recharged, maybe there will be less rotation of the lineup. But it can't be too big. Then we have to prepare for the play-off, which will be demanding mentally and physically. We know that if the match at Baník is not managed, not much will happen. on the other hand, we have to build a winning mentality. We want to win every match and it won't be otherwise in Ostrava either. We will want to play actively. Baník has quality and tall strikers, so we have to be careful about standard situations.”
FK Jablonec (12th) – FK Teplice (13th). to play fully. We are thinking about some variants of the lineup and possible changes, but we will see according to the current state of health. Some players deserve that chance.”
Zdenko Frťala (Teplice coach): “There is not the slightest reason not to go all out in the last match, even if we saved ourselves two rounds before the end. We want to remain as concentrated as possible until the end. In Jablonec, it will be partly a North Bohemian derby, which is also why we want to end the season with dignity and a successful result. A lot has already passed time since I was in Jablonec. It was a great experience for me, for the first time I was able to coach a league team with a lot of quality players. I don't take it more prestigious now. Maybe players who didn't get on the pitch that much will get into the game.”
Zbrojovka Brno (16th) – Trinity Zlín (15th)
Martin Hašek (coach Brno): “The cards are clearly dealt. If we win, we will play no, it's all about hope. Now it's an upgrade to everything we've been playing for the whole time I've been in Brno. Every game we've been under pressure, now we're under the biggest one. Now I feel the strength of the team even at home and I believe it will be an advantage . After some stumbling, we can see a certain rise in the last matches, this gives us reason for optimism. We still have it in our hands and I believe we can handle it.”
Pavel Vrba (coach Zlín): “The results of Wednesday's round determined that a draw is enough for us to avoid direct relegation in Brno. This is an improvement compared to the previous rounds and a certain psychological advantage. But it would be a huge risk to play only for a draw and wait to see if we can kick it or not . We will want to present ourselves as we played in the last away match in Pardubice. I believe that we are able to handle the duel in Brno in such a way as to play a playoff.”
