Sparta reeling after derby rout

'On the up'
Sunday's 4-1 defeat left the UEFA Champions League contenders in ninth place in the Czech table and was their second loss in three games under new coach Stanislav Griga. "I thought we were on the up again, but we are not," said captain Martin Petráš. "This 4-1 result could drive us back down."

Absent friend
Goalkeeper Jaromír Blažek pointed to the absence of Karel Poborský, who joined second division SK Dynamo České Budějovice on loan after a row with Griga's predecessor Jaroslav Hrebík, saying: "All we can do now is wait for the winter break when several players who should be here will come back."

Poor relations
Meanwhile, there was jubilation among Slavia fans who have got used to being Prague's poor relations in the nine years following their last title triumph. Their first win against their old rivals since 1999 - and only the second time they have avoided derby defeat since 1993 - was a massive boost.

Slavia praised
While the UEFA Cup contenders remain in third place in the league, five points behind leaders FC Slovan Liberec, their performance hinted at better things to come. Daily newspaper MfDnes wrote: "They are in great shape, the players believe in themselves, they fight and they never give up."

Strength in adversity
All of those factors were in evidence on Sunday as Sparta recovered from the suspension of captain Karel Piták, conceding a fourth-minute opener and missing a penalty. Stand-in captain Stanislav Vlček said: "We are used to coming from behind. That was the fourth game where we have won after conceding first."

Vlček stars
Vlček, Sparta's tormentor with two assists and a goal, is now convinced Slavia can reclaim the title this term. "All sides have their bad days during a long season, but we have our worst one behind us," he said. "It came after [RSC] Anderlecht knocked us out of the UEFA Champions League."

Supporters believe
Clearly, supporters are starting to believe too - as Sparta came undone, fans chanted "Slavia are the champions" for the first time in years, while Blažek added bitterly of the derby: "We were behind them in everything, including self-confidence."

Winter changes
The winter break will see Poborský and probably Petr Voríšek, Milan Pacanda and Jirí Homola return to Sparta from loan spells, but with the second worst defence in the Czech top flight, Griga must also encourage his team to regain some basic skills in the months ahead. Daily newspaper Sport wrote of the derby: "There was anarchy in the back four at first and then total ruin, particularly in the centre of defence."

Threadbare squad
In mitigation, Griga can cite a shortage of fit players which was exacerbated by the suspension of Miroslav Slepička and Tomáš Sivok's long-term injury, forcing him to bring back Jan Šimák only two weeks after he had returned from a three-month treatment for alcohol problems.

Long shot
None the less, Sparta president Dr Daniel Kretínský placed a €7,000 bet on his side winning the league. By anyone's standards, it looks like a long shot.