FK Mladá Boleslav – AEK Atheny 0:1 (0:0)
After the cautious both-sided first half, Mladá Boleslav conceded the decisive goal in the opening minute of the second half from the head of the native from Dakar, Nsaliwo, after a centre pass from Manduco. The pressure from Boleslav at the end of the match did not result in a goal, Holub hit the post while Mendy and Táborský hit the crossbar. Mladá Boleslav were again tightly defeated after a year by a leading Greek club with the final score 0:1. Only a win in Italian Florence, where the team will travel in the last week before Christmas without suspended Matějovský, can revive qualifying hopes for the spring stage of the UEFA Cup. The Boleslav players enforced a slight territorial dominance in some parts of the first half, however, they did not cause any serious hazards for the goal of the opponent.
The first half did not bring too much excitement but the second half was quite different. The first attack by the Athens team in the 46th minute, which unfortunately ended in a goal against Boleslav, was the impulse for that. The freshly substituted Manduca centre-passed from the left in front of the Boleslav goal and Nsaliwa scored with a header – 0:1.
The Boleslav players charged against the Athens goal in an effort to respond to the goal but they lost the ball and Manduca rushed along the left-hand line against the goal attended by Pižanowski again. But our goalkeeper resisted for now. Rivaldo got a free kick by begging after a duel with Procházka in the 55th minute. He took it himself but Pižanowski excellently saved his biting shot at the right-hand post. It flashed dangerously in front of the Athens goal just after an hour of play. Táborský tried to aim Mendy’s sharp centre pass at the nearer post but he missed the goal by centimetres when marked by a defender. The efforts by Boleslav to change the unfavourable score progressively turned into pressure. A centre pass by Hrdlička, an attack by Voříšek and a shot by Táborský were unsuccessful. The match took place mostly in the Athens half of the pitch and only sporadic break attacks were dangerous for the Boleslav goal in this stage.
Manu appeared in a hundred-percent scoring chance in the 75th minute. Pižanowski saved the ball from his boot but it slipped out under his body and continued into the net. The clearing kick by Procházka definitely saved the goal. But other scoring chances from Boleslav followed. Mendy alone in front of Moretto was unsuccessful, a repeated centre pass by Vaněček resulted in a corner kick, a smashing shot by Hrdlička was saved by a headlong jump by the excellent Athens goalkeeper. Vaněček took a centre pass from Hrdlička across the complete width of the penalty area in the 85th minute, passed the ball to Holub, but Moretto saved his shot by diverting it against the post. The Boleslav players continued in their siege of the Athens goal, Holub prepared a shooting position for Táborský in the penalty area but Moretto diverted his shot again, above the crossbar this time. Mendy escaped on the boundary of the penalty area in the 87th minute, shot sharply but the ball was slightly touched by a defender and hit the crossbar. Three times in three minutes, Boleslav scoring chances died on the goal structure, which was incredible bad luck! Rajnoch was the last player who could score after a pass from Matějovský but Moretto saved his weak shot without difficulties.
