Victor Olatunji was a super sub for Sparta Prague, scoring the winning goal in their 2-1 comeback victory over Jablonec in the Czech First League at Stadion Letná on Sunday.
Olatunji's strike capped an impactful cameo appearance as Sparta continued their pursuit of league leaders and rivals Slavia Prague.
The match began on a sour note for Sparta as Vakhtang Tchanturishvili’s well-placed shot from outside the box gave Jablonec a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute. Sparta responded after the break when Albion Rrahmani equalized in the 51st minute with a precise finish, assisted by Qazim Laçi’s delivery from a corner.
The Nigerian forward, who came on as a substitute for Rrahmani in the 63rd minute, needed just 15 minutes to make his mark.
In the 78th minute, the Lagos-born striker showcased his sharp instincts in front of goal, firing a powerful shot into the top left corner from the center of the box to seal the victory.
Olatunji’s impact in numbers
The lanky forward’s performance showed his growing importance to the defending champions. Despite limited minutes this season, 18 appearances but only six starts, his efficiency is evident with six league goals. Averaging a goal every 124 minutes, he has a scoring rate of 0.3 goals per game.
In his 27-minute outing against Jablonec, Olatunji recorded one goal from his only shot on target and completed one successful dribble from one attempt.
He had just nine touches but contributed with 50% passing accuracy (3/6). His physical presence was felt in duels, winning one of two ground duels and one of two aerial battles.
Despite Olatunji’s heroics, Sparta remains 13 points behind league leaders Slavia Prague after 19 games. With 11 regular-season matches left, they will need Olatunji and others to maintain their form to close the gap in the title race.
