- Head-to-head: Banik Ostrava have won 3 of the last 5 head-to-head matches in all competitions (1 win for Zlín and 1 draw).
- Recent form: Zlín have won just 1 of their last 3 games, losing a 2-4 home game with FK Teplice and a 0-2 away game at Banik Ostrava.
- Banik form: Banik arrive on the back of a 3-game winning streak, the last 2 of which were impressive away wins over AC Dukla Praha and FC Silon Taborsko.
Tight and tough in Zlin
FC Trinity Zlín are a very narrow team who sit deep in a narrow block and look to spring forward quickly. Bronislav Cervenka has moulded them into a tough side that is risk-averse and built on transitions and dead-ball threat, but they are not expansive enough to be a real threat either.
Tomas Poznar has been their spark plug, scoring 2 of Zlín's 6 goals over the past 5 matches in a run that has seen them win 2, tie 1 and lose 2. That's enough to keep them afloat, but not really to get them going, and they head into this one on the back of a 2-4 home loss to FK Teplice and a 0-2 loss away at Baník Ostrava.
Josef Dvornik's side have won 3, tied 1 and lost 6 of their past 10 in all competitions, but they arrive here with momentum, having posted back-to-back away wins over AC Dukla Praha and FC Silon Taborsko. They are a more structured side than Zlín and a more proactive one, in that they are more pragmatic in the build-up, but they also press harder and will likely get Zlín to sit deep and give them the ball.
Banik can nick this one
Match outlook
These two sides know each other well and it could be a cagey battle on Saturday, with Baník's organisation and Zlín's ability to turn set pieces and second balls into chances deciding this scrap.
Betting
However, Baník are in better form and have the better of the recent H2H record, so we're going for the visitors to avoid defeat, if not win, as Zlín have failed to win either of the past 2 home games between the clubs.
- Banik are the slight favorites at 2.43 and Zlín are 2.6 with the draw coming in at 3.3.
- Those are not bad prices, but it's a bit difficult to separate these sides and it makes sense to take the low-scoring angle via Under 2.5 at 1.85 and Both Teams to Score — No at 2.02.
