Sparta's journey to the MOL Cup final
Sparta at first eliminated 2-1 Jihlava. Libor Kozák sent us to the lead after 13 minutes, but the home team equalized after few minutes. Hašek decided the game four minutes before the end.
The second match was not so stressful. Matěj Hanousek was a key player. He scored two goals and prepared two more for Libor Kozák. Sparta won 4-0 in České Budějovice.
We expected hard battle in the quarterfinal against Baník Ostrava with one of the best league defence. It does not look like that when you look at a result. Sparta crushed Baník 5-0. Hancko scored after twenty minutes, Tetteh after a break. Then Karlsson scored from the spot. In the end, Frýdek and Hložek sent two more hits.
The semi-final offered a really tough duel with Victoria Plzeň. Sparta took the lead after fourteen minutes. Limberský fouled Libor Kozák in the box. Guélor Kanga scored from the spot. In the 28th minute, Bořek Dočkal found Libor Kozák's head and he increased the head. Plzeň reduced thanks to Havel in the 90th minute. Sparta didn’t let them equalize and celebrated getting to the final after 2-1 win!
The journey of Liberec to the final of the MOL Cup
Liberec played one more match. In the second round they went to Mariánské Lázně and won 5-2. Matěj Chaluš, Martin Koscelník, Achmed Alibekov, Oscar Dorley and Bojan Dordić scored their goals.
In the 3rd round, Slovan defeated 3-1. Chaluš, Baluta and Koscelník decided the game.
In the round of 16, Liberec faced the first division opponent for the first time - FK Teplice. Petar Musa sent Slovan to the lead in the 74th minute. Jan Kuchta added the second hit in the 90th minute.
Liberec played the biggest battle in the quarterfinals. The duel at Slovácko did not offer a goal and was decided by penalty shootout. Tomáš Malinský scored the last penalty.
Slovan started well in the semi-final against Olomouc. Jakub Pešek scored the first goal in the 29th minute, then Alibekov increased the lead. After ten minutes of the second half, the Olomouc striker Lukáš Juliš (who is in Olomouc on loan from Sparta) reduced the score. Liberec forward Jan Kuchta then sent the ball into the net by hand. Instead of goal, he was sent off after the second yellow card. In the end, Juliš could equalize, but failed and Liberec got to the final after 2-1 win.
