Ladra and Hlozek on target as Czech Republic see off Kosovo before trip to Mexico

[p]Determined to impress in their penultimate outing before heading to North America for the World Cup, Miroslav Koubek’s men came flying out of the blocks against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/kosovo/v1DTPQwI/"]Kosovo[/a] with a breakthrough inside 12 minutes.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/doudera-david/pr09Lnhk/"]David Doudera[/a]’s miscued effort in the box fell perfectly to an unmarked [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ladra-tomas/Wnfs8q19/"]Ladra[/a], who headed coolly beyond [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/muric-arijanet/CfsIdb20/"]Arijanet Muric[/a] for his first-ever international goal.[/p][p]Having won their last three matches on the road, Kosovo responded well to that early setback, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hodza-veldin/SOGZNaOr/"]Veldin Hodza[/a] seeing a low strike smartly saved by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hornicek-lukas/4xGGcozp/"]Lukas Hornicek[/a].[/p][p]That sparked the hosts back into life, and they duly doubled their lead shortly after the half-hour mark, as [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/hoffenheim/hQAtP9Sl/"]Hoffenheim[/a] forward [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hlozek-adam/2FUsDXpd/"]Hlozek[/a] powered his way into the box from [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/chytil-mojmir/dhSLF6tC/"]Mojmir Chytil[/a]’s pass before finishing expertly into the far corner. [/p][image alt="Czech Republic - Kosovo match stats" id="74619a62-874f-49f5-abb7-cda80aee8619" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="5200b16f-cd99-47f7-aa38-8c93c9a61fde" original-width="1200" original-height="1200" /][p]Both Czech goalscorers were substituted at the break as Koubek made a raft of changes, and the visitors looked to capitalise on that at the start of the second period, with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vojvoda-mergim/YirekWMs/"]Mergim Vojvoda[/a] seeing a fierce drive tipped over the bar by Hornicek.[/p][p]The [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/czech-republic/6LHwBDGU/"]Czech Republic[/a] remained in control of proceedings with time heading into the final half-hour, though, and they went close to adding a third when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kabongo-christophe/d8P1BRpf/"]Christophe Kabongo[/a]’s low strike was denied by Muric.[/p][p]Kosovo refused to lie down without a fight, and the visitors halved the deficit in the 80th minute through substitute [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/emerllahu-lindon/E1gBWT0T/"]Lindon Emerllahu[/a], who found himself in the right place at the right time to convert a close-range rebound into an empty net.[/p][p]That set up a nervy finale for the hosts, but despite a late disallowed goal for Kabongo, they managed to hold firm and see out the win, extending their remarkable unbeaten run on home soil dating back to September 2022. [/p][p][b]Flashscore Man of the Match: [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/hlozek-adam/2FUsDXpd/"]Adam Hlozek[/a] (Czech Republic)[/b][/p]