- Standings: FC Trinity Zlín and FK Teplice are in 10th and 13th place respectively after 28 games with 31 and 29 points.
- Away form: Teplice are undefeated in their last three away games, all draws.
- Recent form: Zlín have lost four in a row in the league, winning just one of their last five.
Zlín and Teplice play a game of chess
Overview
FC Trinity Zlín are the biggest battlers in the 1. Liga 2025-2026 season. It’s an amazing achievement for the club and the current squad, but there are no signs that the 2026-2027 campaign will be any easier for Zlín.
Tactical setup
Head coach Bronislav Cervenka has done a remarkable job to keep Zlín afloat since taking over in October 2023, adhering to his strict and disciplined 4-4-2 and 4-2-3-1 setups and always keeping his team well structured and committed to zonal defense. Zlín play with discipline, have a clinical forward and a solid defensive unit and that combination seems to be working again this season.
Key player & form
At the other end of the pitch, Michal Cupak has been a model of consistency for Zlín in the lead role, scoring seven goals in 27 league games so far. Cupak is a reliable number up top for Cervenka’s side and he’ll surely be marked closely by the Teplice defenders on Saturday.
The hosts have lost their last four games and won just once in their previous five in the league, but their home form is a little better, winning one and losing two of their last three.
Teplice bring pace and creativity
Teplice are a more attacking side than their hosts, although Zdenko Frtala’s men are equally as stubborn when it comes to closing down opponents and turning the ball over.
- The White and Blues have drawn four and lost one of their last five league games, but they have some great creative players in their squad, such as playmaker Daniel Fila, who can link the play well and move the ball through the thirds quickly.
- Michal Bilek is the key man for Teplice, with eight goals in 23 appearances and he often plays the lead up top role in a 4-3-3, 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 system. Bilek has been in good form lately and should be able to find the net against the home side’s compact defensive unit on Saturday.
- Teplice’s away form in the 1. Liga 2025/2026 is two wins, eight draws and four defeats from 14 fixtures. The White and Blues have scored 0.93 goals per game on the road and conceded 1.29. They have not managed a win in their last two trips to Zlín.
Draw likely in a game of two halves
This fixture is a clash of styles rather than a head-to-head matchup between two rivals, so the outcome of the game will likely be decided by whichever side is able to control the pace and momentum of the match. Zlín have won two of the last three league meetings between the sides, including a 3-1 victory away from home eight months ago, so there is a recent pattern that backs up the draw forecast.
The odds for a draw are a massive 2.96 and there’s no reason for this match to go to either side based on recent form and the nature of the two sides’ respective approaches to the game. A draw and both teams to score - Yes is the main wager for this game at 2.0, while over 2.5 goals is our third prediction for the contest, priced at 2.5.
This is likely to be an open and interesting match between two sides that know their roles well and have players capable of producing moments of magic. Zlín rely on disciplined defender Dominik Simersky to keep their compact back four in check and Teplice will try to get at them with pace and width, creating chances in transition.
