Goalless Draw in Prague as Slavia Prague and Athletic Club Cancel Each Other Out
Puntos Clave
- Goalkeeper Jindrich Stanek denied Robert Navarro three times in a seven-minute span early in the second half to preserve the clean sheet for Slavia Prague
- Athletic Club managed 12 shot attempts to Slavia's 8 but neither side could find a breakthrough, leaving both teams near the bottom of the 36-team standings
Prague, Czechia — Slavia Prague and Athletic Club played out a tense goalless draw at Fortuna Arena on Tuesday night, as both sides struggled to find the cutting edge in their UEFA Champions League Matchday 5 encounter. The result does little to help either team's European campaign, with both clubs already mathematically eliminated from advancing to the knockout stages.
In a match characterized by physical play rather than attacking flair, the two sides combined for five yellow cards in a first half that featured more fouls than shots on target. Lukáš Provod entered the referee's book early for Slavia Prague in the 15th minute, followed quickly by Athletic Club's Gorka Guruzeta in the 19th minute, setting the tone for a combative affair.
Athletic Club created the better chances throughout the contest, registering 12 total attempts to Slavia's 5. Robert Navarro came closest for the Spanish side in the 52nd minute when his header from the center of the box was saved in the bottom left corner by Jindrich Stanek. The Slavia goalkeeper was called into action again moments later, denying Navarro's left-footed effort from the left side of the box.
The home side's best opportunity came in the 65th minute when Tomáš Chory's right-footed strike from the center of the box forced a fine save from Athletic's Unai Simón. Slavia Prague, who had enjoyed slightly more possession with 52% of the ball, struggled to translate their territorial advantage into meaningful scoring opportunities, managing just two shots on target throughout the 90 minutes.
As the match progressed into the latter stages, both teams made multiple substitutions in search of a breakthrough. Athletic Club introduced Nico Williams and Selton Sánchez in the 58th minute, while Slavia Prague responded with a triple change in the 55th minute, bringing on Vasil Kusej, Jan Boril, and Tomáš Holes. However, none of the fresh legs could provide the spark needed to break the deadlock.
The result leaves both teams firmly rooted in the bottom section of the expanded 36-team Champions League table. Slavia Prague remain in 31st position with just two points from five matches, while Athletic Club sit slightly higher in 29th with the same points total after their fifth outing in the competition. With both sides already eliminated from contention for either automatic qualification or the playoff spots, they'll be playing for pride in their remaining group stage fixtures.