I’m disappointed at the moment. Not from the performance, but from the result, which is cruel for us, commented Vrba on the defeat

AC Sparta Prague failed to finish a well played match and lost 4:3 to Lyon at home. However, Pavel Vrba saw some positives in the match and he is not alone!

The positive was certainly that the players from Letná did not get scared of the opponent and were active, for which they were rewarded with a two-goal lead. But in the end the quality of the French team started to show.

“Of course I am disappointed at the moment. I am not disappointed with the performance, but with the result, which is cruel for us. We had a very good start, we were 2:0 up. Then, unfortunately, we allowed the opponent to score four goals, which is obviously a lot. The result is cruel for us, we lost 3:4 and we have zero points,” Vrba told the press conference after the match.

After two opening goals by Lukáš Haraslín, Karl Toko Ekambi managed to reduce the deficit three minutes before the first half and it was clear that the second half would be even tougher for Spartan players.

“I already blamed the players at half-time for stopping to combine after two goals and a passage of play that was exceptionally good for us. We allowed the opponent to get more into the game. He is strong in combination. It’s a team that has players who have quality. We must not let that happen in the next matches if we want to get good results,” Vrba continued

And that’s what happened! Already in the 53rd minute Houssem Aouar equalised, then in the 67th minute Lucas Paquetá put Lyon in the lead and in the 88th minute Ekambi sealed the victory of the French team again.

Unfortunately, Ladislav Krejci’s goal at 4:3 didn’t solve anything and it’s a pity that Sparta couldn’t take advantage of Lyon playing with ten men from the 74th minute.

“I think we are learning. We will only meet such an opponent in European cups. If we play cups more often, and I hope we do, it is a school of life for us,” Vrba concluded the interview.

But Sparta can be proud of their performance. The crowd must have enjoyed the game as it was clear to see that the players left everything on the pitch. It is also important to see that despite the big difference in quality, the team from Letná can play an open game with a solid result.

As coach Vrba himself noted, the players gained important experience that will hopefully be reflected in the next matches in the European Cups, which Sparta is finally playing after a long time.

Source: AC Sparta Prague