Two advances to the quarterfinals, nine other players in the lineup. Trpišovský’s magic works even without supports

After a year, Slavia has once again advanced to the top eight teams in European competition, this time reaching the quarterfinals of the newly formed European Conference League. It knocked out less famous and strong opponents, on the other hand, with a much cheaper line-up than last year. Let’s compare the progress through Rangers and Linz.

Slavia’s last and current seasons in European cups have a lot in common. Promotions from the second place of the group stage, an African discovery in the lead role (Abdallah Sima last year, Yira Sor this year) and a trip to the quarter-finals.

What is far from the same, however, is the composition of the line-ups that have ensured promotion to the top eight. If we compare the elevens from last Thursday’s rematch against Linz with the successful line-up at Rangers a year ago, we find that only two players played both games in the starting line-up.

Who is it? Peter Olayinka and Alexander Bah, one of the captains and a key right-back respectively. The same was the case in the opening game against Rangers (1::1), where besides Olayinka and Bach, Tomas Holeš also started.

There are many ways to justify the different lineups. The Sešiovans sold off a lot after the season, Abdallah Sima, David Zima, Nicolae Stanciu and Jan Kuchta left the club, Simon Deli also left after a six-month loan spell.

Two other mainstays were unavailable against Linz due to long-term injuries. Jan Bořil will be out until the end of the season, while Lukas Provod should be ready after the transfer break. Ondrej Kúdela came on for the last minutes, but given his advanced age, his return to full strength will be challenging.

But the main reason is the magic of Jindřich Trpišovský. Despite the departure of his mainstays abroad year after year, the best coach of the last three seasons of the Fortuna Liga keeps expanding his collection of successes.

In Linz, Srdjan Plavsic (a year ago a substitute at Sparta), Aiham Ousou (a year ago a player of the second Swedish league), Maksym Talovjerov (on the day of the match between Slavia and Rangers a stopper of Ceske Budejovice) or Ales Mandous (a year ago a goalkeeper of Olomouc) got a chance in the starting line-up.

The aforementioned four players did not cost Slavia even five million euros, while Sima, Zima, Stanciu and Kuchta added 21.6 million euros to the club’s coffers with their departures. There is only one thing to do, to bow down to Jindřich Trpišovský and his coaching team.

Source: Transfermarkt