Groundhopping24

  Relieved though I am that this next team will require no copied and pasted accents from Google or Wikipedia for their name, a long journey to the other side of the country would provide the necessary difficulties. Having both got through the last round of the Czech Cup, a place in the Quarter Finals was at stake for Teplice and Zbrojovka Brno.   Thus far, Teplice have seen off Viktoria Žižkov (2-1 AET) and Viagem Příbram (0-3), where Zbrojovka have seen off Slovan Rosice (0-4), and FC Silon Táborsko (a late 1-2 success). The sides have already played in the league in Brno this season, with neither side coming out on top in a frustrating 2-2 draw.   The record is fairly even over the last 30 years, though more recent history tends to favour the draw. The Czech Cup of 2021 in fact saw this exact fixture played, in which Teplice emerged 2-0 victors. Given Zbrojovka’s recent away wobbles, getting through to the Quarters could be a tough ask. Given that the cup is ...

With the huge inconvenience of a winter World Cup that nobody wanted coming up, České Budějovice offered the last doable opportunity of an away day with the mighty Zbrojovka before that frustrating three month recess. Given the lengthy nature of the trip, it would have to be a weekender, but the chance to explore a new city is never one to be sniffed at.   As for Zbrojovka, they’ve picked up their form again in the last two, away to Pardubice (1-3) then at home to Slovan Liberec (3-0) respectively. Meanwhile, Černý have hit a real rough patch, losing 3-0 at home to Hradec Králové, then losing by that same scoreline at Jablonec.   They currently sit 14 th , and surely offer the perfect opportunity for Zbrojovka to continue their relatively impressive start to the season. Could another 3-0 success (or failure from České’s perspective) be on the cards? That said, the hosts also have a new manager at the helm, which could provide something of a bounce in their favour. ...