Hibernian Ladies went into this game off of some good form and results, as did Slavia Praha, and it was always going to be a tough game for both teams.
The visitors were the seeded side in this fixture and are regulars in the knockout stages of the competition, whereas Hibs have yet to make it past the Round of 32.
The game took place at Easter Road Stadium, with 1287 fans turning up on the night to enjoy some Champions League football.
It was Hibs who went ahead only minutes into the game with a goal off a corner, but they would then struggle to find the net again and as the game went on Slavia worked themselves back into it.
The guests scored three goals in the last 10 minutes of the first half after displays of efficient and clinical attacking.
Hibs continued to see a lot of the ball in the second half but they didn’t manage to get it on target.
Slavia went on to score another one, with Kozarova completing her hat-trick, and they kept the pressure up until the end. Strong defending from the Scots kept the score at 4-1.
Story of the game
Hibs were the ones to take commando from the start, which would be the case for much of the game, and their work paid off instantly as Siobhan Hunter stepped forward and capitalised off a corner from Rachael Boyle, scoring her sixth goal in three games, after only two minutes.
They continued to attack Slavia, who were caught on their back heels, but as the game progressed the guests worked themselves back into the game.
Hibs kept the pressure but the guests showed their grit and were awarded with a goal in the 36th minute after Tereza Kožárová broke through the defence, found herself alone with Jenna Fife and slotted it in behind the goalkeeper.
The forward was at it again only minutes later as an assembled attack from Slavia, led by Kateřina Svitková, saw Kožárová get the ball just in front of goal and she could simply put it into the net.
They would get one more in just before half-time, capitalising on the confusion in the home team, as Andrea Jarchovska was allowed to take a great shot from outside the box that sailed past the keeper, out of reach.
The second half saw Hibs continuing to play the ball with intensity, trying to cut through the Slavia defence but a lot of their passes ended up astray or at the feet of their opponents.
Instead, it was Slavia who scored in the 75th minute with another good effort from Kožárová, who completed her hat-trick after her initial shot was blocked, but she got a hold of the rebound and put it past Fife into the top of the net.
The home team got a few good chances, one of them was Amy Gallacher who pulled off a good shot from outside the box. The trajectory of the ball was great and looked like it was going to make its way under the crossbar, but keeper Olivie Lukášová saved it just in time.
The game finished 4-1 to the visitors, and it will be tough for Grant Scott’s team to rectify themselves in Prague as they’ve got a big job in front of them.
Overall it was a good effort from Hibs, who will need to be more clinical if they wish to see a different scoreline for the return leg, but they did well against a team with a good record in the Champions League.