Conference league
Excessive fear of Feyenoord? Slavia is better than in the autumn, what can the Dutch team get?
“Ideally AS Rome, especially not Feyenoord!” When asked who they wanted to see in the quarter-finals of the Conference Europa League, the answers of the players were repeated. No one wanted the Dutch brand from Rotterdam after six months of experience, yet Friday’s draw sent the club from Europe’s biggest port city into the Red-Whites’ path.
“Ideally AS Rome, especially not Feyenoord!” When asked who they wanted to see in the quarter-finals of the Conference Europa League, the answers of the players were repeated. No one wanted the Dutch brand from Rotterdam after six months of experience, yet Friday’s draw sent the club from Europe’s biggest port city into the Red-Whites’ path. In what ways have Slavia improved the most and what can they rely on compared to the unsuccessful autumn confrontation with Feyenoord?
The Sor factor
Whether Slavia under Jindřich Trpišovský have long presented themselves as a big team rather than a bunch of individuals, the impact of winter signing Yira Sor on the Susians’ play has been extreme. The Nigerian forward has scored five times and assisted twice in four Conference Europa League games.
Sora’s influence does not only lie in productivity (Slavia had a similarly reliable Jan Kuchta in this respect in the autumn), but above all in speed, which is not seen on football lawns. Feyenoord’s stoppers didn’t have to defend him in the autumn, now they have to slowly warm up to his nimble legs.
The defence has come together
We could notice a great progress compared to the autumn in the defensive line of Slavia. It’s a bit ridiculous to write this after a game in which the Red and Whites finished without suspended defenders Aiham Ousou and Srdjan Plavsic, but that doesn’t change the fact that Jindřich Trpišovský and the entire implementation team have done a great job since the Feyenoord game.
The summer departures of David Zima and Simon Deli, plus the lingering injuries to David Hovorka and Ondrej Kudel, were bold lines through all the coaches’ plans. However, Taras Kacharaba and Ousou (i.e. stoppers number three and four) became mainstays over time, and by the end of the autumn Slavia were on a long streak without a goal scored.
The current state and form of the defensive four is a level higher than it was during the autumn confrontation with Feyenoord.
Home rematch
Slavia’s cabinet did not want another confrontation with Feyenoord, mainly because of the mutual match from the end of September. At the De Kuip stadium full of home fans, the Seychellois didn’t adapt to the atmosphere and didn’t score at all in the first half. If they were down 0:5 after 45 minutes, they could not have been surprised. Slavia under Trpišovský was only beaten in a similar way by Arsenal in last year’s 4:0 win.
From this point of view, it is important for Slavia to play the return leg at their own stadium. The away goal rule no longer applies, in the case of a botched match at Feyenoord the players have the opportunity to make things right in front of their own fans. And let’s not underestimate the power of a sold-out Eden, several European giants have already seen it.
Source:: SK Slavia Praha
