published: tuesday 10 december 2013, 23.00cet fc viktoria plzeň 2-1 pfc cska moskva
tomáš wágner lashed in a 90th-minute winner to earn a uefa europa league spot as pavel vrba enjoyed a dream end to his reign as plzeň boss.
tomáš wágner lashed in a 90th-minute winner as fc viktoria plzeň stole third in group d and a uefa europa league spot from right under pfc cska moskva noses, to give pavel vrba a dream sendoff.
the russian visitors, needing only a draw, looked home and hosed when ahmed musa broke the deadlock midway through the second half. but the dismissal of alan dzagoev soon after altered the complexion of the match. daniel kolář headed a 76th-minute equaliser to spark a plzeň onslaught and substitute wágner found a way through the army men defences at the death, though there was still time for pontus wernbloom to see red and complete cska's misery.
ıt was an incredible end to vrba's five-and-a-half-year spell as plzeň coach as he departs to take the reins of the czech republic. ındeed, an air of expectation hung over the štruncovy sady stadium all night, the atmosphere as electric at the end as it had been at the start, when the home side were fully charged. milan petržela and pavel horváth soon threatened but it was 27 minutes before ıgor akinfeev was called into action, to deny stanislav tecl.
plzeň's attacking endeavour was a bit toothless; cska, on the counterattack, seemed to pose far greater threat. never more so than when musa found himself one-on-one with matúš kozáčik but the goalkeeper blocked with his left foot. by half-time the visitors were on equal footing and slowly the pendulum swung towards cska. on 66 minutes they went 1-0 up as substitute keisuke honda crossed from the left and ahmed musa headed in at the far post.
cska looked to be cruising but when dzagoev saw red for a trip, they began to sing. ıt took nine minutes for plzeň to capitalise as horváth delivered a perfect pass from the right and kolář met it with a firm header. ıt sparked a frenetic spell of pressure from the hosts, buoyed by their fantastic fans, and they completed a famous win when františek rajtoral delivered towards wagner. the forward still had a lot to do but he did it in some style. a fitting farewell for vrba.
