Slavia Prague lose 0-2 to Sabah in Baku in Champions League: Provod

Slavia Prague lost 0-2 to Sabah in Baku in a Champions League match, failing to make the most of their chances. Midfielder Lukáš Provod admitted the team had come for three points and is leaving with nothing, calling the defeat a bitter one.

According to Provod, Slavia played the first half without energy, aggression or movement, and even he was surprised that it was still 0-0 at the break. The game turned after the first goal. In his view, the opponents then began to run out of steam and Slavia stepped it up, but it was too late: the team only really started to play at 0-1. “Moments like these are not forgiven in the Champions League,” he stressed.

Provod himself also had a chance to score but did not put the ball in the net. “Believe me, there is nobody in the team who does not want to score. Everyone wants to, but in this match the ball just would not go in,” he said. Before the game there was a lot of talk that Baku was precisely Slavia’s best chance of a long-awaited win in the competition. Provod agreed that the team sensed an opportunity, but noted that their opponents did not get here by accident, and that every match in the Champions League is tough.

There is little time to dwell on it: the team heads straight home and prepares for a Czech league match against Hradec Králové. Last season, the player said, showed how hard it is to switch between the domestic league and European competition. Slavia’s next Champions League match is a week away, against Fenerbahçe. Provod believes the lessons of Baku will pay off: the team cannot “lose” the first half and must take its chances.

Source: sport.cz