Viktorka’s Start in League? Excellent!
Just for the start, the poker-faced rivals from Hradec Králové arrived in Pilsen, so the first match seemed to be a very attractive watching. The Viktoria players were more active since the beginning, playing typically their style – keeping the ball and breaking through the constricted defense with short passes.
The first goal chance appeared in the tenth minute, when Daniel Kolář sent a great header from the corner kick. However this header was blocked by the goalkeeper Lindr in the last minute. After another corner shot, the captain of the team Pavel Horváth, who shot from the middle distance, did not succeed either.
A great chance was offered to Marek Bakoš in the twentieth minute. He got a pass from Daniel Kolář and faced alone Lindr. Unfortunately, the visiting goalkeeper got the ball out of the gate again. The team of Viktoria pressed its rivals more and more that they almost had no entry to the centre line.
Finally, in the thirty-fifth minute they saw it through. Following a nice centre hit by František Rajtoral, Daniel Kolář scored the first goal in this league when the host goalkeeper missed his header (1:0). The home players did not calm down. In the thirty-eighth minute, Pavel Horváth passed a ball from the corner to Davida Limberský, who tightly missed the gate from about forty-meter distance. Using the penetration at the visiting team’s gate, Martin Fillo hit the post.
Hradec Kralove had a bigger chance almost at the end of the match. Vojtěch Štěpán sent a dangerous centre ball, which was however reached by nobody. No wonder that the first half finished with a pleasant result for Viktoria 1:0.
The first real chance in the second half was given to Marek Bakoš. He was able to get over Hradec’s full-back, avoided the goalkeeper Lindr, unfortunately he could not end it well from that angle. Immediately after that, Martin Fillo made himself free thanks to a great jink and passed it to the box to František Rajtoral. Although he missed after all, FC Viktoria kept the pressure.
In the sixtieth minute near the centre line, Daniel Kolář went free and was stopped by the rivals at last moment. At that time was already clear, that visiting team would have to think about offence. That offered Viktoria players more possibilities for fast breaks. Pavel Horváth tried to use one of them, however the visiting goalkeeper Lindr displaced the ball away.
Yet, the next one was successful. Receiving a pass from Václav Procházka,the top scorer of last season Marek Bakoš used the opportunity and scored (2:0). The third goal was added by Vladimír Darida. Unfortunately,it was not admitted due to offside. However In the seventy-eighth minute, the visitors scored an own goal after a corner of Viktoria (3:0).
There were several chances for the rivals in the end, although their hits went out of the goal or the goalkeeper Petr Bolek managed them. In the last minutes in Doosan arena, one Mexican wave came after another. That only underlined the amazing atmosphere of today match. And as the result did not change for the remainder of the game, FC Viktoria Plzeň left the field with well-deserved three points.
FC Viktoria Plzeň – FC Hradec Králové 3:0 (1:0)
Scored: 35. Kolář, 69. Bakoš, 78. Poděbradský (own goal),
Referees: Franěk – Filípek, Mencl
Yellow cards: 16. Horváth – 15. Harba
No. of Viewers: 10 310
FC Viktoria Plzeň: Bolek – Limberský, Rajtoral, Ševinský, Procházka – Darida, Horváth (C), Kolář (83. Hanousek), Malakyan (45. Ďuriš), Fillo – Bakoš (75. Hora) – coach Pavel Vrba
FC Hradec Králové: Lindr – Holeš, Šisler, Zelený (79. Pávek), Poděbradský, Fukal – Strnad, Hochmeister, Štěpán, Harba – Dvořák (71. Uškovič) –coach Jiří Plíšek
