The league starts, Slavia hosts Hradec Králové, Pilsen plays in Teplice

Illustration photo – Match of the 30th round of the first football league: Slavia Prague – FC Hradec Králové, 30. April 2023, Prague. Mick Van Buren from Slavia (right) and Adam Gabriel from Hradec.

Prague – After a barely two-month summer break, the new season of the first football league will start today. Defending champion Sparta will enter the season only on Sunday with a match against Olomouc, its main rivals from Slavia and from Pilsen will introduce themselves on the first day of play. The vice-champion from Eden will welcome Hradec Králové to his stadium, Viktoria will present himself in Teplice during the renewed premiere of coach Miroslav Koubek.

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According to the bookmakers, Slavia is the biggest contender to win the title, but Hradec Králové has not been able to beat them in any of the last three league matches. In the first round of last season, they lost to “Votroky” in their then asylum in Mladá Boleslav 0:1, and at the end of the regular season in Eden, they only drew 1:1.

Plzeň did not beat Teplice last season either, they played only two draws with them. Koubek, the 71-year-old oldest coach in the league, ended up on Viktoria's bench eight years ago just after the 2:2 result at Stínadly.

The game in Eden will start at 6:00 p.m., kick-off in Teplice is scheduled for 3:00 p.m., just like in the matches between newcomers Karviná and Zlín and Pardubice and Bohemians Praha 1905.

Statistical data before the matches of the 1st round of the first football league:

FK Teplice (12th last season) – Viktoria Plzeň (3rd)

Kick-off: Saturday 22 July, 15:00.

Referees: Černý – Hájek, Antoníček – Petřík (video).

Balance: 46 12-15-19 53 :65.

Last match: 1:1.

Expected lineups:

Teplice: Grigar – Knapík, Chaloupek, Mičevič – Radosta, Jukl, Mareček, Urbanec – Trubač – Gning, Fila.

Pilsen: Staněk – Řezník, Hejda, Jemelka, Sýkora – Traoré, Kalvach – Kopic, Vlkanova, Vydra – Durosinmi.

Absence: none – Čihák, Havel, Pernica (all injured), Cadu (uncertain start).

Interesting points:

– Teplice have not beaten Pilsen 8 times in a row, the last 2 duels ly ended in a draw

– Pilsen lost only one of the last 9 league matches in Teplice

– Teplice lost only one of the last 8 league duels

– Teplice did not lose 4 times in a row at home in the league

– Teplice won all 4 preliminary matches

– Plzeň won only the last of the last 7 league matches

– Plzeň won only the last of the last 7 away league matches

– Pilsen did not lose in 7 preliminary matches (of which 6 wins)

– Pilsen will enter the qualification of the European Conference League next Thursday

– coach Koubek will renewed competitive debut on the Pilsen bench, 8 years ago ended after a 2:2 draw in Teplice

– coach Koubek replaced current Teplice coach Frťal on the bench in his previous job in Hradec Králové

FK Pardubice (14th) – Bohemians Praha 1905 (4th)

Kick-off: Saturday 22 July, 3:00 p.m.

Referee: Batík – Paták, Pospíšil – Hocek (video).

Balance: 7 3-1-3 7:7.

Last match: 0:2.

Expected lineups:

Pardubic: Kinský – Surzyn, Donát, Halinský, Helešic – Icha – Patrák, Šimek, Hlavatý, Pikul – Krobot.

Bohemians: Reichl – Hůlka, Křapka, Hybš – Köstl, Jindřišek, Hrubý, Dostál – Matoušek, Prekop – Puškáč.

Absence: Lupač, Mareš, Solil – Petrák, Shejbal, Vondra (all injured).

Interesting points:

– the teams have an even league record of 3 wins and losses and one draw sap, Bohemians won the last 2 matches with Pardubice and did not concede in them

– the teams will meet in the league for the first time at a different stadium than in Ďolíček, where Pardubice had a home asylum for 2.5 seasons

– Pardubice have lost only one of the last 6 competitive matches in total with a playoff

– Pardubice have lost only one of the last 5 competitive duels at home

– Pardubice have lost 3 of 4 matches in preparation

– Bohemians have won only one of the last 5 league matches

– Bohemians have lost only one of 6 preparatory matches and have won 3 times in a row

p>- Bohemians will enter the qualification of the European Conference League next Thursday

– Kovařík (Bohemians) can play his 350th league match

MFK Karviná (newcomer) – FC Zlín (15th)

Kick-off: Saturday 22 July, 15:00.

Referee: Vokoun – Kubr, Mokrusch – Klíma (video).

Balance: 13 6-1-6 20:16.

Last match: 1:1.

Previous estimated lineups:

Karviná: Lapeš – Čurma, Bederka, Svozil, Žídek – Boháč, Budínský – Memič, Bartl, Mikuš – Doležal.

Zlín: Dostál – Cedidla, Simerský, Didiba, Čelůstka – Kolář – Vukadinovič, Janetzký, Slončík, Fantiš – Žák.

Absence: Boháč – Ndiaye (both uncertain start).

Interesting points:

– Karviná has won only one of the last 5 league matches against each other and Zlín has not beaten 3 times in a row in the top competition

– Zlín has not lost in the last 3 league duels in Karviná

– the teams have a balanced league record of 6 wins and losses and one draw juices

– Karviná is the only newcomer, she returned to the top competition after a one-year hiatus

– Karviná has not won 5 times in a row in the league

– Karviná won, lost and drew 2 times in 6 matches of the summer preparation

– Zlín saved itself in the play-off last season and did not lose 5 competitive matches in a row

– Zlín lost only one of the last 5 competitive away matches

– Zlín did not lose in 5 preparatory matches

– coach Karviná Hejdušek is awaiting a league premiere

– Reiter (Zlín) can claim his 150th league start

Slavia Prague (2nd) – FC Hradec Králové (8th)

Kick-off: Saturday 22 July, 18:00.

Referee: Všetečka – Nádvorník, Váňa – Machálek (video).

Balance: 33 21-8-4 75:22.

Last match: 1:1.

Expected lineups:

Slavia: Kolář – Holeš, Ogbu, Ousou – Douděra, Oscar, Zafeiris, Schranz – Provod, Jurečka – Van Buren.

Hradec: Bajza – Klíma, Heidenreich, Czech – Gabriel, Smrž, Kodeš, Horák – Pilař, Krejčí – Vašulín.

Absences: Pech, Sinyan, Wallem (all injured), Masopust, Plavšič, Ševčík, Tecl (all uncertain start) – Harazim (all injured), Šašinka (uncertain start).

Interesting facts:

– Slavia did not win the last 3 league matches with Hradec (including 2 defeats), but before that they won 5 times in a row in the top competition

– Slavia have not lost in 16 home league matches against Hradec.

– At the beginning of last season, Slavia lost to Hradec in their then home asylum in Ml. Boleslav 0:1

– Slavia lost the only one of the last 13 league duels

– Slavia did not lose at home in the last league season and won 52 of the total 78 points there

– Slavia did not lose in 5 preparatory matches, only drew with German third division Dresden 1:1 in the general game

– Hradec at the end of the last league season for played only one of the last 5 matches

– Hradec has not lost 3 times in a row away from home in the league

– Hradec has not lost in 6 pre-season matches (including 4 wins)

– Schranz (Slavia) can claim his 150th start in the Czech league

– coach Weber is waiting for a competitive debut on the Hradec bench