Spartak Trnava Eliminates Slovan Bratislava in Dramatic Penalty Shootout

FC Spartak Trnava advanced to the quarter-finals of the Slovnaft Cup after defeating ŠK Slovan Bratislava 5-3 in a penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw on February 18, 2026. The match, held at the Anton Malatinský Stadium, saw over 8,000 spectators witness a thrilling contest.

Match Recap

The match ended 1-1 after regular time, sending the game to a penalty shootout. Idjessi Metsoko scored for Spartak Trnava in the 59th minute, even as Mykola Kukharevych equalized for Slovan Bratislava in the 85th minute.^Sofascore

Penalty Shootout Drama

In the penalty shootout, Erik Sabo scored the decisive penalty for Spartak Trnava. Slovan Bratislava’s Tigran Barseghyan had his penalty saved by the goalpost earlier in the shootout. The penalty shootout unfolded as follows:^Sofascore

• R. Jureškin (Trnava) – Scored
• M. Kukharevych (Slovan) – Scored
• I. Metsoko (Trnava) – Scored
• N. Janković (Slovan) – Scored
• R. Procházka (Trnava) – Scored
• A. Gajdoš (Slovan) – Scored
• M. Ďuriš (Trnava) – Scored
• T. Barseghyan (Slovan) – Missed
• E. Sabo (Trnava) – Scored

Repeat of Last Season

This marks the fourth time in the last five years that Spartak Trnava has eliminated Slovan Bratislava from the Slovak Cup, including a penalty shootout victory in the semi-final last season, where Sabo also scored the winning penalty and Barseghyan previously missed.^SPORTNET

Emotional Victory for Sabo

The victory was particularly emotional for Erik Sabo, who recently lost his mother.^SPORTNET

Captain Mikovič’s Reaction

Spartak Trnava captain Martin Mikovič stated, “Zase sme ich zdolali v pohári. Prvý polčas sa mal skončiť 3:0, mohli sme to uzavrieť. Je to fantastické. Je to krásne a oni sú smutní. Slovanisti dlho čakajú na túto trofej, ešte musia čakať aspoň rok.” (Translation: “We’ve beaten them in the cup again. The first half should have ended 3-0, we could have closed it out. It’s fantastic. It’s lovely and they are sad. Slovan fans have been waiting for this trophy for a long time, they have to wait at least another year.”)^SPORTNET

First Half Dominance

Trnava dominated the first half, with Kudlička hitting the crossbar and Metsoko also striking the woodwork. Slovan Bratislava struggled to create opportunities in the opening period.^SPORTNET