Slavia fight back from 2-0 to draw Fenerbahce in Champions League

Prague’s Slavia have won their first point in the Champions League: in the third round in Istanbul they drew with Fenerbahce — 2-2 — after being two goals down. The equaliser came in the 90th minute from 20-year-old substitute Pavel Kačor. After two defeats, it is the team’s first point in the competition.

“I think it’s a deserved point. Worked for and earned the hard way,” said coach Jindřich Trpišovský.

A cold shower and a comeback

The hosts started in a flash. Not even four minutes had passed when Aydin carried the ball from the right wing onto his left foot and sent it neatly into the corner. Soon Greenwood hit a spectacular right-footed volley — 2-0. The stands, with 40,124 spectators, turned into “hell”, and Slavia risked losing their nerve.

But as early as the 15th minute captain Lukáš Provod took advantage of a childish error by Guendouzi, picked up the gifted ball at the edge of the box and pulled one back. “That’s my first goal in the Champions League. I’ll remember it for the rest of my life,” Provod admitted. He also praised the whole team: “Hats off that we didn’t fall apart. Being 2-0 down after ten minutes in an atmosphere like that was madness. We didn’t give up, and we have a point.”

In the second half the Fenerbahce fans grew a little nervous, while Slavia pushed forward with gusto. The key moment came when substitute Lukaku brushed aside defender N’Guessan and created a scoring chance, but goalkeeper Markovič saved it brilliantly.

Kačor, the hero of the night

The decisive moment came in the 90th minute. Kačor leapt like a karate fighter onto a superb cross from Ayaosi on the right and beat none other than Ederson — the Brazilian who won six English titles with Manchester City. The forward, whom Slavia signed in the summer from relegation-threatened Karviná, was on the pitch for just four minutes and was playing in the Champions League for the very first time.

“Honestly, I have no words. I didn’t even expect I would be able to play because of a sore shoulder. But when the coaches called me over after the warm-up and sent me on, I had a feeling inside that I would score. It was magical. I probably won’t sleep at all,” said the hero of the match.

What next: life without Chorý and no wins since 2007

Slavia’s next match is at home to Arsenal on 4 November. The team’s winless run in the Champions League has lasted since September 2007, and in that game it will most likely stretch to 23 matches. Still, if the team keeps its courage and stubbornness, fans will forgive a lot.

Another thing stands out: the squad no longer includes two-metre striker Tomáš Chorý. At the weekend he showed the referee the middle finger in a league match and was sent off for the fourth time in 14 months, and the club lost patience. Chorý joined from Plzeň the summer before last for almost 80 million crowns and helped win two league titles in a row, but his outbursts repeatedly let the team down. Whatever the disciplinary committee decides on Thursday, he will not play for Slavia again.

The first match without Chorý showed that a change of style can be beneficial: a trio of mobile forwards kept swapping places and surged forward at every opportunity. The tireless Emmanuel Ayaosi, one of them, provided the assist for Kačor’s goal. The question is who will score the goals now.

Bottom line: after two defeats in the Champions League, Slavia finally have a point. Coach Trpišovský was pleased with the team’s character: “We showed mentality. The lads gave everything. The opponent didn’t like it.”

Around Prague, based on reporting by seznamzpravy.cz