RECORD-BREAKING BANÍK HOSTS DEFENSIVE POWERHOUSE JABLONEC IN CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND OPENER

← Back

 



April 27, 2025

FC Baník Ostrava - FK Jablonec

Sunday's opening match of the Chance Liga championship round features a clash between record-setting Baník Ostrava and the defensively exceptional FK Jablonec. Both teams enter the championship group with contrasting historical statistics.

Baník Ostrava has recorded their most successful regular season in Chance Liga history with 64 points and will be playing in the championship round for the fifth time. However, in their previous four championship rounds, Baník gained a maximum of only four points (in seasons 2021-22 and 2023-24) and achieved their highest finish last season (4th place). Notably, Ostrava has lost all four of their opening championship round matches (either to Sparta or Slavia), a statistic they're eager to overturn.

FK Jablonec has played their best regular Chance Liga season since 2020-21, when they accumulated 62 points after 30 matchdays under Petr Rada (51 points now). The Northern Czech side has excelled particularly in defense - conceding the second-fewest goals this season (25; Slavia 11), their lowest total since the 2014-15 season (22). Jablonec has also kept their second-highest number of clean sheets (15), after the 1996-97 season (16).

FK Jablonec will be playing their third championship round, having participated in the relegation round during their other three seasons. In their previous two championship round appearances, Jablonec lost both opening matches away at Plzeň and earned a maximum of six points in the 2018-19 season. Both championship round campaigns ended with a 4th place finish.

Jablonec's defensive prowess has been evident in the final stretch of the regular season, winning all of their last three matches by a 1-0 scoreline, becoming the first team to record three consecutive 1-0 victories since Plzeň did so on August 11, 2018, and added one more a week later (no team has ever achieved more than 4). On the other hand, Baník Ostrava leads this Chance Liga season with the most 1-0 wins (7).

One of the key factors in Jablonec's defensive success is goalkeeper Dominik Holec, who concedes just 0.58 goals per 90 minutes played in this Chance Liga season. Only two Slavia goalkeepers, Jindřich Staněk (0.3) and Antonín Kinský (0.37), have conceded fewer. According to the Expected Goals model, Holec has prevented the fourth-most goals this season (3.7).

Sunday's duel offers an interesting contrast: a record-breaking Baník with a tradition of weaker starts in the championship round against Jablonec with their excellent defense and series of narrow victories. It will be a battle between two teams attempting to improve their historical best in the championship round.

Photo: source XYZ

We thank OPTA for providing the statistical data.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

DE BRUYNE'S FAREWELL TO ETIHAD FACES CHERRIES' ROAD INVINCIBILITY

Image
  May 20, 2025   Manchester City - AFC Bournemouth   Etihad Stadium, Manchester On Tuesday, May 20, 2025, Manchester City will face AFC Bournemouth in the 37th round of the Premier League. The match offers a likely farewell of the home star Kevin De Bruyne to Etihad Stadium against a team with excellent away form. Manchester City have won all seven of their Premier League home games against Bournemouth – only Arsenal (10 vs Stoke) and Manchester United (8 vs Wigan) have a better 100% home win rate against an opponent in the competition. The Citizens thus represent an insurmountable obstacle for the Cherries at their own ground. Bournemouth won the reverse fixture against Man City 2-1 in November, having been winless in their first 20 league meetings with the Citizens beforehand (D2 L18). The South England side thus achieved a historic success this season. Manchester City have won their final home league game in 10 of the last 11 seasons (D1), including each of the la...
Read more

Marks Could Be the Next Irving: NFL Draft 2025 Late-Round Gems

Image
  Bucky Irving proved last year that the fourth round can hide future stars. His 1,122 rushing yards and eight touchdowns made him the most productive rookie runner in the NFL. Now the search continues - which of this year's late picks will repeat similar success? The pattern is clear. Irving followed the path of Isiah Pacheco, Kansas City's seventh-round gem from 2022. Both had one thing in common - they weren't college superstars with astronomical numbers, but they proved efficiency and ability to maximize opportunities. Among this year's candidates, Marks from USC stands out most, selected by Houston in the fourth round. His transformation is remarkable - four years at Mississippi State never exceeded 600 yards per season, but a single season at USC brought 1,133 yards with impressive 6.8 yards per carry. Marks has an ideal situation for immediate impact. Joe Mixon ahead of him has injury history and Houston under new coordinator Nick Caley is looking for fresh b...
Read more

MAYBANK CHAMPIONSHIP 2025: PRESTIGIOUS LPGA TOURNAMENT IN MALAYSIA WITH MILLION-DOLLAR REWARDS AND STAR-STUDDED FIELD

Image
  October 30 – November 2, 2025 | Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Malaysia World Number One Thitikul Seeks First Victory After Two Second-Place Finishes Asia once again hosts one of the richest golf tournaments when the prestigious Maybank Championship takes place from October 30 to November 2, 2025. The third edition of this spectacular LPGA tournament will welcome the world's best players to the picturesque Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club with an incredible prize pool of $3 million ! TOURNAMENT WITH A SHORT BUT RICH HISTORY The Maybank Championship has quickly grown into one of the most significant tournaments on the LPGA Tour thanks to its combination of lucrative rewards, prestigious location, and quality field: EMERGING TRADITION Founded in 2023 when the LPGA Tour returned to Malaysia after a six-year hiatus . This was a significant event for Asian golf that signaled the LPGA's commitment to expanding its presence in a region where women's golf is...
Read more