Preview
- Sparta vs Fenerbahce
Sparta Prague will be without several key players as they bid to
restore some pride with their first win in the Champions League
group stage in their penultimate match against Fenerbahce on
Tuesday.
Frantisek Straka's team lie bottom of Group D having picked up just
one point from their four matches ahead of the clash with the
Turkish side who have lost all their group games since the opening
1-0 win over Sparta back in September.
But they will be without a number of influential figures as they
look to move off the foot of the table.
Winger Karel Poborsky and defender Jiri Homola are suspended, while
midfielder Rastislav Michalik (hamstring) and defender Pavel
Pergl(ankle) are sidelined through injury.
Straka is upbeat, however, and wants the players who come in to
prove they are capable of doing a job.
He said: ``Poborsky's absence is of course a great loss for us. He
is our leader. ``Also the other players belong to the team and we
would have been much stronger with them. It is no good crying over
this, our squad is big enough to manage the situation, and the new
players will have a chance to prove their quality.''
Jiri Koubsky and Marek Cech have also been struggling with flu this
week but are expecting to be available for the clash.
Former Bayer Leverkusen star Jan Simak looks set to deputise for
Poborsky. ``It is one of the options,'' Straka explained.
``It is a great challenge for him. He wants to work hard, and I
like his attitude. Every minute of play he gets improves his
performance.''
Petr Vorisek may replace the injured Pergl, while Slovakian
defender Cech, health permitting, looks set for a return to the
defence after having spent most of the season in the reserve
team.
``My assistant Miroslav Jirkal saw the last match of Fenerbahce in
the league, they played with just with one forward,'' Straka added
ahead of the clash.
``But this does not mean we are going to play mindless attacking
soccer. They certainly know how to attack well, we have to tighten
up in midfield and not allow them to combine there.
``I still think that the last round will decide the third place, we
will have to get points in Lyon, I do not believe that Manchester
United will win in Turkey.''
Midfielder Lukas Zelenka knows his team can expect a difficult
match after their 1-0 defeat in the return fixture back in
September.
``We did not deserve to lose in Turkey, we have to play the same
type of game, not concede possession and try to put them under
pressure,'' he said.
Sparta's excellent domestic run came to an end earlier this month
when they went down to their first league defeat of the season at
home to Mlada Boleslav, but the Gambrinus Liga leaders bounced back
with two victories in the following two weeks.
Fenerbahce set off for Prague boosted by Saturday's 2-0 win at
Trabzonspor but were greeted with rain and even snow on arrival in
the Czech capital.
Alex, from the penalty spot, and Tuncay Sanli netted the goals,
although Fenerbahce played for much of the game with 10 men
following the dismissal of Marcia Nobre in the 37th minute.
Pierre van Hooijdonk, the match-winner when the teams met in
September, was absent for the Turkish champions last weekend with
flu and an Achilles injury.