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Slovan Liberec beat Rapid București 2-1 in pre-season friendly at Giulești
Match report: Slovan Liberec beat Rapid București 2-1 in a pre-season friendly at Superbet Arena Giulești. Lukas Masek and Fallou Faye scored before an own goal by Buzek.
Slovan Liberec opened their pre-season programme with a 2-1 win over Rapid București at the Superbet Arena Giulești on Thursday, building a two-goal lead inside 37 minutes before a second-half own goal gave the scoreline a closer look.
How it unfolded
Lukas Masek put Slovan ahead in the 8th minute, turning in an early chance to settle the Czech side into the game. Fallou Faye doubled the lead before half-time, heading in from a set-piece to make it 2-0 at the break — a margin that reflected Slovan's sharper start.
Rapid improved after the interval and pulled one back in the 56th minute, though via an unfortunate route: Slovan defender Alexandr Buzek turned the ball into his own net under pressure from a Rapid cross. The hosts pushed for an equaliser in the final half-hour but could not break through, and Slovan held on for a deserved victory.
The turning point
Faye's 37th-minute header was the decisive moment. Had Rapid reached half-time at only 1-0 down, they may have had a clearer path back into the game. Instead, the two-goal cushion allowed Slovan to sit deeper in the second half and absorb pressure, which they largely did without conceding a clear chance from open play.
Key performers
Lukas Masek (Slovan Liberec) — the early goal settled the match and the midfielder was influential in the build-up phase throughout the first half.
Fallou Faye (Slovan Liberec) — scored the crucial second goal and was a commanding presence in both boxes, winning multiple aerial duels.
Alexandr Buzek (Slovan Liberec) — unfortunately on the wrong end of the score sheet with the own goal, but his overall defensive work was otherwise solid.
By the numbers — interpreted
Match-level stats for this friendly are limited, but the half-time scoreline (0-2) tells the key story: Slovan created and converted chances in the first period when the game was more open. Rapid's 56th-minute own goal reduced the deficit but the expected goals flow likely favoured Slovan, who had the better of the early territorial play. The 0-2 HT / 1-2 FT pattern is consistent with a team that took control early and then managed the lead.
What it means
For Slovan Liberec, this is a solid start to their pre-season ahead of the 2026-27 Czech First League campaign. They followed up a 2-2 draw with Dukla Prague on 4 July with this win. Rapid București, meanwhile, had beaten Dynamo Kyiv 3-1 on 2 July but this result shows the inconsistency that plagued their 2025-26 Liga 1 season — where they managed only one win in their final 10 league matches.
No attendance or referee details were published for this friendly.
Verdict
A routine pre-season win for Slovan Liberec, built on efficient first-half work. Rapid's second-half response was limited to a gift of a goal, and the scoreline flattered them slightly. Pre-season form carries limited weight, but for Slovan the early rhythm was encouraging.