Czech league: Slavia host Hradec Králové, Zlín seek first win

Slavia Prague footballers play Hradec Králové at home at 3 p.m., trying to forget Tuesday's 2-0 Champions League defeat away to Azerbaijan's Sabah. Coach Jindřich Trpišovský will surely want to keep the unbeaten run in the Czech league going and, if possible, extend the lead: the Prague side are six points clear of second-placed Liberec.

A tricky opponent for the leaders

It will not be an easy game for the red-and-whites. Hradec Králové are the team that last managed to draw with Slavia, 2-2. But the visitors are far from happy either: before the international break they lost at home to Teplice, and last week to Artis.

Two more matches kick off at 3 p.m. Mladá Boleslav and Teplice both have 17 points after ten rounds, and they are two pleasant surprises of the season. Teplice have lost only to Slavia (2-0) in their last five games, while the players of coach Aleš Mejer need to pull themselves together: the defeats in Plzeň and against Bohemians clearly do not satisfy them.

What awaits Zlín and Liberec

The mood is not good in Zlín, who have so far collected just one point, for a draw in Jablonec. Another attempt to get a first win awaits the team in Pardubice. But the hosts' eight points are hardly a source of pride either. Even so, Jan Trusil's side are favourites against Zlín.

The programme closes at 6 p.m. with a very attractive match at Ganá: Sigma Olomouc, on 17 points, share third place, while Slovan Liberec have three more. They could have had far more, were it not for recent slip-ups against Artis (0-0) and at home to Slovácko (0-2). Will Liberec be able to return to their form from the start of the season?

The match between Bohemians and Artis was originally scheduled as well, but will not take place because of a mass illness among the players of the league newcomer.

Around Prague, based on reporting by sport.cz