Viktoria Plzeň lose 1-2 at home to Pardubice in Czech league

Viktoria Plzeň lost 1-2 at home to Pardubice in round 12 of the Czech first league and went without points in a second consecutive home game. The visitors led 2-0 by half-time, and the hosts' only goal came from Memić in the 49th minute.

Visitors score twice in the first half

The hosts created the first chance from a corner, but Dweh and Přebsl failed to convert. The visitors were more clinical: defender Krčík, whom Viktoria let go early in the season, helped beat his former teammates, and in the 22nd minute Nigerian Samuel put the ball in the net at the second attempt. He had also scored in the previous round.

The visitors doubled their lead after a corner from Hlavatý: at the near post the ball struck Krčík and Ičo and, in the referee's view, deflected off the latter into the goal. Ičo is also scoring for a second match in a row. Before the break Kabongo could have pulled one back, but from close range he hit only the crossbar.

No comeback

Plzeň coach Radoslav Kovář made three substitutions at half-time, and in the 49th minute, after a pass from Doška, Memić reduced the deficit: it was his fourth league goal this season. The hosts could not build on it. In the 75th minute Maguta was through one-on-one and could have sealed it, but goalkeeper Vigele saved. In the 88th minute Vydra, who had replaced captain Hrošovský, missed Plzeň's last big chance.

It was Hrošovský's 200th match in the Czech league, but the milestone was not marked with points. For Pardubice coach Jan Trusil the game against his former club, where he was an assistant until September last year, went well, while Kovář lost against his previous employer.

Plzeň now have three home defeats in seven matches — as many as in the whole of last season. For the seventh time this autumn the team has conceded at least two goals in the league, and on Thursday it lost 1-2 to Levski Sofia in the Europa League. After 12 rounds Plzeň are ninth with 16 points, Pardubice twelfth with 14, and Slavia lead with 28. The match was watched by 6,168 spectators.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz