Andraž Šporar is just as effective playing for Slovan in Slovakia as he was for Olimpija three years ago, when he scored 17 goals in 18 rounds of the Slovenian First League. Even though he played only half of the 2015-16 season in Slovenia, he shared the league’s top scorer title with Rok Kronaveter and Jean-Phlippe Mendy at the end of the season.
After unsuccessful stints at Basel and Arminia Bielefeld and this summer’s move to Bratislava, Šporar is back into his rhythm and scoring almost a goal per game. In 19 games for Slovan Bratislava in the 2018-19 season, he managed to score 17 goals, while he was deprived of some by official statistics and also passed on some penalties to his fellow players.
His first goal officially recorded as a defender’s own goal
On Sunday, Slovan demolished Zemplin Michalovce with a score of 6:0. At the start of the game, Šporar skillfully intercepted a pass by Moha. "I touched the ball, but one of the defenders deflected it, so it was counted as an own goal. Too bad; I could have been recognized as the scorer," joked the best scorer in the Slovak league. Šporar’s mood was justified, since he managed the play of the game in the 27th minute, when he scored a goal using a bicycle kick after a misdirected pass by the opposing team.
He gave up a penalty kick after the second bicycle kick of his career
"This was the second bicycle kick of my career. I scored the first one in Ljubljana. It was undoubtedly one of the best goals of my career. Maybe it will be recognized as the goal of the month," the Slovenian player told the team’s official website. After 14 rounds of the Super League, the team is enjoying a six-point lead over DAC. At the midpoint of the second half, Šporar forced a penalty but passed on its execution to Aleksandar Čavrić: "Čavra needed a boost to his self-confidence. I had been fouled, so I followed the unwritten rule that the fouled player shouldn’t perform the penalty kick," Šporar explained when asked why he didn’t grab the opportunity to increase his scoring total.
Will he remain in Bratislava to see the league title?
With 12 goals, Šporar has a four-goal lead on the list of top scorers, so he’s on the way of becoming the top scorer in the Slovak league. A wintertime transfer is not out of the question, but based on his experiences in Switzerland and Germany, the 24-year-old Ljubljana native is probably in no hurry to leave a team that is on its way to becoming the national champion.
He lost the ball and then devastated the opposing team
Central midfielder Leo Štulac was the discovery of the year among Slovenian players abroad. He quickly became a leading player for his team, which made a comeback to Serie A. Štulac has been on the field for the entire season and has received a call to join the national team, but careful observers have noted that he had barely avoided a direct red card on at least two occasions. His luck ran out on Sunday during the match between Parma and Frosinone.
In the 61st minute, Štulac lost the ball when setting up an attack. He immediately charged after the ball but ended up mowing down Raman Chibsah with the soles of his shoes. The referee did not hesitate and immediately showed the 24-year-old Slovenian a direct red card. The injured Ghanaian was unable to continue the game. Štulac will probably spend the next few games on the sidelines, since no one objected to the red card. Parma’s manager Roberto D'Aversa nevertheless had some kind words for the team’s youngest top player: "It was a foul made out of anger. He didn’t think after losing the ball, but he didn’t want to injure the opponent. The red card is justified because of the nature of the foul, not because there was any desire to injury the other player."
The Slovenian team’s temporary manager Igor Benedejčič will unveil the starting list for the games against Norway in Ljubljana and against Bulgaria in Sofia this Thursday at 3:30 p.m.
