High hopes for Hübschman

By Kevin Ashby in Prague

If AC Sparta Praha are to show scant regard for the established football pecking order and advance to the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals at the expense of holders AC Milan, then Tomáš Hübschman is going to have to prove that he is truly one of Europe's top young central defenders.

Lazio denied
With Milan likely to field a strike partnership of Andriy Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi in the first leg of the knockout-round tie at the Letná stadium on Tuesday, Sparta's continued participation among the European élite perhaps depends on Hübschman and Petr Johana reproducing the form which helped them contain another Italian side, S.S. Lazio, in the Czech champions' last outing in this competition.

'Pleasant memory'
An assured central defensive display paved the way for Marek Kincl's goal to secure a 1-0 victory in the 93rd minute and propel Sparta into the last 16. "The Lazio match is forgotten, it's a pleasant memory but one which is in the past," Hübschman told uefa.com. "No one has mentioned it as we can only afford to look forward to playing Milan."

Team ethic
The 22-year-old continued: "Milan are a much tougher team to break down than Lazio and it will be very difficult to keep them at bay. We have to defend as a team and not just concern ourselves with one-against-one situations. In order to succeed we have to play to our strengths by being compact and denying them space."

Talented crop
Hübschman has been playing to his strengths since he was a teenager, shooting to prominence as captain of the Czech Republic team at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was then part of a supremely talented squad that won the 2002 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and like many of that team graduated with honours to the senior side.

'Good preparation'
Having helped the Czech Republic qualify automatically for UEFA EURO 2004™, the blond-haired centre back made his most recent international appearance in the second half of his country's 2-2 draw against Italy in Palermo last Wednesday - decent grounding for the visit of the European champions. "It was good preparation as the Italian national team play with a very similar style to Milan," he said. "The four across the back line are superb and they have two holding midfielders to contain things as well as sparking counterattacks."

European experience
A product of the Sparta academy, Hübschman spent time on loan at FK Jablonec 97 in 2000/01 before returning to the capital and establishing himself. Having impressed in the Champions League in 2001/02 against the likes of FC Bayern München and Real Madrid CF, he is relishing meeting Milan in a match likely to showcase the defensive arts in snowy Prague.

'Job to do'
"As it is the first leg we cannot expect a festival of attacking football," Hübschman said. "As a defender I have one job to do - prevent them from scoring. We have to adopt the system which served us well in the group stage, because if we play an open game from the start Milan have the talent to punish us."

San Siro match
Goalkeeper Jaromír Blažek concurred, telling uefa.com: "We have to be aware of their players but we cannot be scared of them. We need to keep a clean sheet, and if the forwards can score it would be a bonus." A lead to defend in the San Siro in a fortnight's time, some bonus.