Football: FCSB qualified to Champions League play-off, after 4-1 away match to Viktoria Plzen

The FCSB football team qualified in the Champions League play-off, after defeating the Czech team Viktoria Plzen 4-1 (1-0) on Wednesday night on Doosan Arena in Plzen, in the second round of the third preliminary tour of the competition.

Romania's vice-champion has pulled off an excellent game in Plzen, succeeding to turn the fate of the qualification, after a 2-2 in Bucharest. 

Mihai Balasa (27), Filipe Teixeira (71), Florin Tanase (76) and Denis Alibec (79 - penalty) scored the goals of the team coached by Nicolae Dica, while Michael Krmencik scored for the vice-champion of the Czech Republic. 

The match started on the wrong foot for the FCSB, with the hosts having a great opportunity in the very first minute of play, when Kopic shot from 7 meters at goalkeeper Nita. He also distinguished himself in the 5th minute, during one of Krmencik's attack. 

The first goal chance for the guests came in the 13th minute, when Enache did not reach Alibec's ball centered in front of the empty posts. 

Viktoria continued to dominate the game, and Krmencik (18) broke free to the posts, but shot sideways. Then, Havel (19) sent a weak shot from the goal line, and Nita held on to the ball. 

FCSB opened the score in the 27th minute, when Balasa executed formidably a free kick from 30 m and sent the ball betweem Bolek's posts. Balasa almost doubled the score, but the ball shot from a free kick from 25 meters passed very close to the posts (34). Man wasted a huge opportunity (40), failing to kick Alibec's centred shot into the net. 

At replay, Alibec fired a shot, but the ball was deflected into the corner (55). 

Michal Krmencik restored balance in the 64th minute, from Jan Kopic's centre shot, due to an error of Marko Momcilovic. The Czechs were close to taking the lead (70), at Enache's big mistake, but Kolar shot wide. 

FCSB settled the game and the qualification's fate by three goals scored within eight minutes: Filipe Teixeira scored after Florin Tanase's (71) blocked shot. Tanase (76) scored for 3-1, after an extraordinary pass of Alibec, and the latter scored from a penalty (79), after Teixeira was fouled by Tomas Horava within the box. 

Viktoria was left with ten players in the 88th minute, when Krmencik received a red card for the foul on Momcilovic. 

The FCSB will find its opponent in the Champions League play-off on Friday at Nyon's draw. 

In the last season, FCSB (Steaua) eliminated from the third preliminary round another Czech team, Sparta Prague. 

Viktoria Plzen, who managed seven matches in the Champions League preliminaries without a victory (four draws, three defeats), is knocked out for the third time by a Romanian team, after suffering the same fate against Petrol Ploiesti and Astra Giurgiu.