Salpingidis from Athens Broke Home Invincibility of Mladá Boleslav in European Cups
Mladá Boleslav was unsuccessful in the opening match of the basic group of the UEFA Cup. Kulič responded to Salpingidis goal only with a shot hitting the post. The only one conceded goal resulted in the first home defeat of Mladá Boleslav in European campaign of this season so that the club remains as the only team without points on the last position of the standings of the group G.
The spectators did not see any good scoring chance during the first half in spite of the fact that both teams tried to play offensive football. Athens team tested the goalkeeper of Mladá Boleslav Miller thoroughly in the 31st minute. He forced out a shot of Leontiou aimed to the left-hand post to a corner kick by a headlong jump. Athens players kicked three corner kicks in the first half while the players of Mladá Boleslav could use a double number of these standard situations. However, watchful defences diverted successfully all of them. Boleslav team had advantage of a free kick from a convenient position on the line of the arc before the penalty area in the 24th minute when the Athens stopper Biscan touched the ball with his hand while falling down. However, Pecka hit only the wall formed by the Athens players.
Swift-footed Salpingitis decided the match in the 65th minute. Poláček lost the ball carelessly, the Athens forward run away Brezinský and beat Miller going out of his goal - 0:1. Shortly before the conceded goal, Kulič failed to score after Ilongo's pass in the penalty area of Athens. The goalkeeper Miller prevented in the other goal in the net of Mladá Boleslav by a courageous jump under the legs of Tziolis in the 72nd minute and immediately after that, he saved a repeated shot of Salpingidis. The players of Mladá Boleslav besieged the goal of Athens in the finish of the match including additional four minutes and equalization really hung in the air. But neither Kulič, Pecka, Rolko nor anybody else of the players of Mladá Boleslav managed to get ball in the net. Kulič only hit the left-hand post of Ebede's goal after Holub's pass in the 89th minute.
FK Mladá Boleslav: Miller - Ševinský, Brezinský (76. Rajnoch), Rolko, Palát - Sedláček (56. Kysela), Matějovský, Ilongo, Poláček (69. Holub) - Kulič, Pecka.
Panathinaikos Athens: Ebedé - Vintra, Biscan, Morris, Darlas - Nilsson, Tziolis, Leontiou, Ivanschitz (19. Romero)- Matzios (59. Sanchez), Salpingitis (82. Theodoridis).
Goal: Salpingidis
Yellow cards: Sedláček, Brezinský, Ilongo - Biscan, Sanchez
Referees: Kelly - Moloney, McDonnell (all from Ireland)
Audience: 4,280
