Liberec draws to clinch title

0 Comments

13 May 2012-AFP

Slovan Liberec won the Czech league title after holding defending champion Viktoria Plzen to a goalless draw in a last-game thriller on Sunday (AEST), securing a spot in the UEFA Champions League qualifying round.

Liberec and Plzen were the only contenders for the title before the last round of matches, in which they faced each other, with Liberec needing a point to secure its third Czech league title after lifting the trophy in 2002 and 2006.

Plzen, trailing Liberec by three points before the last round, needed a win to claim a second consecutive title, but it failed despite creating more scoring chances and hitting the woodwork twice.

Liberec will enter the second qualifying round of the Champions League.

Plzen and Sparta Prague, who got ahead of Plzen on the final day to take second place, will attempt to secure places in the Europa League.

Both Plzen and Liberec are likely to have several players in the Czech national team facing Greece, Poland and Russia in Group A of the EURO 2012 tournament co-hosted by Poland and Ukraine, which starts on 9 June.