Slavia seek gloss finish versus Sevilla

SK Slavia Praha coach Karel Jarolím has promised that the Czech league leaders will do everything they can to scupper Sevilla FC's hopes of topping Group H when the pair meet in Prague.

Slavia ambitions
The Spanish side will clinch pole position with victory in the Czech capital, but despite already being guaranteed a third-place finish and progress to the UEFA Cup, Slavia harbour ambitions of capping a maiden UEFA Champions League campaign with a morale-boosting result. "Even if there's nothing to play for from our point of view, we want to bow out of the competition with a good performance and a positive result," said Jarolím, whose team were beaten 4-2 in Andalusia on Matchday 2. "We would like to avenge our defeat in Seville. We're playing our last Champions League match in front of our own fans. That is a huge motivating factor."

Striking absences
Slavia, however, have lacked a cutting edge in the absence of their captain and top scorer Stanislav Vlček, who remains sidelined by a calf injury – they have scored just six times in their last eight matches. Jarolím also has concerns over Zdeněk Šenkeřík, whose late leveller at FC Steaua Bucureşti on Matchday 5 propelled Slavia into the UEFA Cup, though he may recover from a swollen knee in time to partner Milan Ivana up front. "We'll take every opportunity to attack, but we have to defend responsibly too," said Jarolím, whose charges fulfilled that part of the bargain on Saturday when they beat SK Kladno 1-0 to ensure they enter the winter break with a comfortable five-point cushion at the 1. Liga summit. "We have to be a compact defensive unit. If we give Sevilla space, they could do some damage."

Domestic strife
In contrast to their hosts, Sevilla have struggled on the domestic front, with last weekend's 3-1 success over Real Murcia CF being their first win in five Primera División outings. The points came at a high price, however, as goalkeeper Andrés Palop sustained a fractured finger in a fairly innocuous clearance and is facing three months in the treatment room. It means Morgan De Sanctis will make his first UEFA Champions League appearance of the season at the Evžena Rošického Stadium.

Poulsen back
Rested on Sunday, the influential Christian Poulsen should return to bolster a midfield undermined by the suspensions of Seydou Keita and Adriano. Frédéric Kanouté has overcome a thigh injury and will start alongside leading marksman Luis Fabiano in attack, as coach Manuel Jiménez looks to end the group phase with a victory. "It will be disappointing if we don't win and fail to finish first," said Jiménez, who oversaw the impressive 3-1 Matchday 5 scalp of Arsenal FC that put Sevilla two points clear in Group H. "Of course it's good for us that we beat Slavia the first time we played, but this is another game. We haven't won it yet. Luck can be on both sides, not just on ours. So we have to be cautious."