Sports News

In Sports News this Monday: Sparta extend their lead in Czech league to six points with win over Dukla; Plzeň draw with Slavia in last game before Bayern trip; Nedvěd is hopeful of better times ahead for national side; and Kvitová draws Serena Williams in WTA Championships group.

Sparta extend league lead after Plzeň drop points

Sparta Prague - Dukla Prague, photo: CTK

Sparta Prague have moved further ahead at the top of the Czech league. After defending champions Viktoria Plzeň had dropped two points in their game at the weekend, Sparta extended their advantage to six points with a 3:0 victory over another Prague club, Dukla. The home side sealed Sunday night’s victory before the hour mark with goals from Bořek Dočkal, Josef Hušbauer and Ladislav Krejčí. The last of the scorers, Krejčí, says there is a long way to go yet.

“Of course it’s pleasant, but we have to work and continue like this. In previous seasons we were in a similar position and then began losing points. So we have to go into our forthcoming games with humility.”

The pitch at Letná was severely waterlogged after heavy rain, and Sparta boss Vitězslav Lavička said the team had played well under the circumstances.

“They showed their quality in quick combination play. As well as the goals there were several other promising chances. And I was especially pleased by how hard they worked when they lost the ball – they immediately worked to win it back.”

Plzeň squander chances against Slavia in last game before Bayern trip

Viktoria Plzeň - Slavia Prague, photo: CTK

Viktoria Plzeň had to come from behind to draw 1:1 with Slavia on Saturday, in a game that saw captain Pavel Horvath miss a penalty. The West Bohemians, who blew a host of chances, may have had one eye on the Champions League; on Wednesday they face title-holders Bayern Munich at their famous Allianz Stadium.

Some fundamentals are there for national side, says Nedvěd

Vladimír Darida, photo: CTK

The Czech Republic’s unsuccessful World Cup qualifying campaign ended recently with two wins in a row. However, questions are still being asked about the future of the national side, which is currently without a manager. One person with an informed opinion on the subject is Pavel Nedvěd, perhaps the country’s greatest player of the modern era. The one-time midfield dynamo insists some of the fundamentals are there for a return to success in the future.

“When it comes to the forward line, there are players like Vydra and Kadlec who have huge potential. Darida could be the motor of the team. We weren’t successful in qualification and the management need to draw conclusions from that. But our young players are good – they just need to be told properly how to play. The future doesn’t look so dark to me.”

Kvitová draws Williams in WTA Championships group

Petra Kvitová, photo: CTK

Petra Kvitová has drawn world number one Serena Williams in her group at the prestigious season-ending WTA Championships, which begin in the Turkish capital Istanbul on Tuesday. The Czech women’s number one has never beaten the American star. Kvitová will also face Agnieszka Radwanska of Poland and Germany’s Angelique Kerber for one of the group’s two spots in the knockout stage.