- Since taking over on 15 October 2025, Plzen manager Martin Hysky has kept Plzen tactically flexible, and the clash will be decided by midfield control and transition defence.
- Plzen have won 1, drawn 2 and lost 2 of their last 5 matches in all competitions.
- Red Star have won 1 and lost 1 of their 2 away matches in all competitions.
Red Star will seek a fast second goal
Viktoria Plzen will be looking to get the better of their 3-0 UEFA Europa League Qualification 2026 defeat to FK Red Star Belgrade when the clubs meet again at the Doosan Arena in Czechia on Thursday.
Martin Hysky's men have been flexible in the time since he took charge, moving between a 4-2-3-1 and a compact back-four, depending on the opposition. The common thread in all of their games has been a compact, fast, transition-based approach, where they seek to press the opposition at the back and then break at pace when they regain the ball.
The problem with this approach has been in the transition defense, where they have been caught out too often for their own good, particularly where Red Star were able to put three unanswered goals past them. Red Star boss Albert Riera, in charge since 14 August 2026, has been a catalyst for the Serbian side to play a more pro-active, possession-based style of football, where they press high up the pitch and look to force their opponents into mistakes.
Katai and Elsnik a key pairing for Red Star
The first fixture between the clubs was a good example of this, with the Crveno-beli (Red Star) having the better of the overall match, but lacking the precision to kill it early on. Red Star's recent record of three wins and two defeats in their last five matches is a mirror image of Plzen's sequence, with the 3-0 win over the hosts sandwiched between a 2-0 defeat to Hapoel Beer-Sheva. Across all competitions, Plzen are in much the worse overall form than Red Star, winning only two of their last ten, drawing four and losing four, while the visitors have six wins in the same period. Red Star have also scored five goals in two away matches this season, which should be more than enough to get them going against Plzen. The most dangerous Plzen player in the box of late has been Christophe Kabongo, who has three goals in the club's last five and could be a handful against a Red Star defence that is not always organised. The Serbian outfit are the sharper of the two in attack, however, with Aleksandar Katai netting three of their ten goals in the last five and assisted by Timi Elsnik, who has racked up three assists in the same number of games.
Plzen have not been in great form at home
Red Star will win this if they play at their very best, but we think 7/5 for the Czech side is a bit short, while 91/50 for the visitors is not much of a bonus. Plzen have won two, drawn two and lost two of their six home matches in all competitions and the draw, at 51/20, appeals most.
Over 2.5 goals, at 27/50, looks fair given Plzen have averaged 2.33 goals scored and 2.00 conceded per game on home ground, while Both Teams To Score - Yes, at 23/50, also makes sense in this matchup between two teams with some attacking sparkle.
