Is the big win a big boost before Wednesday’s duel at Sparta?
The positive thing is that we have zero and we managed the match without any major problems. The match at Sparta will be about something else, we will have an opponent who is doing well and is very strong at home. If we want to succeed, we have to perform excellently. Our confidence can go up a bit, we can go into it with a clear head. We want to succeed there and get closer to the top of the table.
You lose six points against Sparta and Slavia, is this a key match towards the end of the season?
Yes, it remains to be seen how the rest of the season will play out. If we win, we are back in the game for the top spots. If it doesn’t work out, it’s almost impossible to win the league. I believe that we can do it, that the match with Zlín helped us, even if we have a day less rest than Sparta.
Are you going into the match having learned from the recent loss in Eden, when Plzeň was leading, but lost in the end and, above all, didn’t show much going forward?
If we want to succeed, we have to defend well. We will once again focus on careful defense, but we must also be brave, more so than Slavia. In Eden, we also didn’t want to focus only on defense, but the opponent didn’t allow us to do much.
Photo: Vlastimil Vacek, Law
Pilsen’s Adam Vlkanova (center) celebrates his second goal in the match against Zlín.
When did the race with Zlín finally break?
We are glad that the match was successful and it was not a case of nerves until the end, as has been the custom here lately. The second goal definitely calmed us down. We were in control the whole match, the opponent didn’t have many chances. I’m glad that Adam Vlkanova came through after a long time, Jan Kliment came back. The match brought a lot of positive things.
Why did you immediately make two substitutions despite a 1-0 lead at half-time?
Zlín defended well, there were no gaps. We wanted to get the game going, and it was successful alternately. At halftime, we sent Vlkanova, who is more valid in the combination than Erik Jirka. We wanted to let Tomáš Choré rest a little because of the demanding program and also the pressure, but he also stepped in for Durosinmi after the break. The changes worked, both players hit the mark and boosted their confidence.
How did you like the performance of Václav Pilař, who started in the starting lineup for the first time since the end of October?
Venca is strong on the ball, can go around players one on one, has a strong finish. He took the chance very well and we will see.
And what does the situation with Jan Kopic look like?
He has problems with his ankle, we’ll see how it goes. Milan Havel also has a minor injury and the same applies to Kopica.
