Slavia draw 1-1 with Mladá Boleslav in the Czech first league

Slavia drew 1-1 with Mladá Boleslav in Round 12 of the Czech first football league and failed to win for a second game in a row. The hosts equalized only in the 86th minute, in front of 17,528 spectators at Eden stadium. Slavia remain leaders with 28 points, while Mladá Boleslav, on 21 points, moved up to second place in the incomplete table.

A quick goal for the visitors

Slavia had the territorial advantage from the start, but in the 15th minute the visitors punished them with a fast counterattack. Lukáš Provod lost the ball in midfield, and Jiří Klíma immediately sent a pass to Nigerian striker Solomon John. John controlled it poorly, and Slavia defender Samuel Isife, while clearing the ball, missed it and stopped it himself as he fell. Martin Šubert, running in, rolled the ball into an empty net. It was his seventh goal of the season, and he leads the scorers' list.

Nazar Domchak, a 19-year-old Ukrainian youth international, made his league debut in Slavia's goal. He joined the club in winter and replaced the injured Jakub Markovič. Before the break the hosts failed to use their chances: Wiktor Nowak shot over the bar after a cross from Isife, while Domchak saved another effort from John.

A cancelled penalty and a disallowed goal

Five minutes before the break, referee Karel Roucek pointed to the spot: Martin Králik appeared to have brought down Slavia captain Tomáš Holeš. But after watching the video replay, video referee Jana Adámková persuaded Roucek to reverse the decision: Králik had not touched Holeš at first, and the contact came when Holeš was already falling. The penalty was cancelled and play went on.

Five minutes after the break, Eden was already celebrating: Provod, from a set piece, finished the ball into the net past Vojtěch Vorel. However, Mojmír Chytil had played a part in the goal sequence with his hand, albeit unintentionally, and the rules forbid that, so the goal was disallowed.

A level score and a winless run

Slavia kept attacking: Chytil’s header hit the crossbar, and then from close range he failed to beat Vorel, who also made a spectacular dive to keep out a powerful shot from Kubiak. But in the 86th minute the visitors gave way: Emmanuel Ayaosi crossed from the right wing and Chytil slid in to send the ball into the net.

It is Slavia’s second game in a row without a win. Counting Champions League matches (0-2 with Sabah from Baku and 2-2 with Fenerbahçe), the team has now gone four games without a victory.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz