Slovácko dispatched Neratovice-Byšovice 4-0 in the Round of 32 of the Czech Cup on Wednesday evening at their opponent's ground. The visitors, who had been inconsistent in recent league matches, delivered a performance that left little doubt about their superiority on the night. The result sends them through to the next stage while ending the home side's unbeaten run in domestic competition.
And here's the thing — the match was effectively decided within the first half-hour. Marinelli opened the scoring in the sixth minute, a moment that changed everything about how this game would unfold. Neratovice-Byšovice, who had scored heavily in their previous fixture against Klousterce- nad-Ohou, found themselves suddenly on the back foot. To be fair, Slovácko had been vulnerable in recent outings, conceding in four of their last five matches, but they showed composure when it mattered.
The second half brought further confirmation of Slovácko's control. Kostadinov doubled the lead in the 52nd minute, followed by Kral's strike three minutes later. By then, the home side had lost their rhythm entirely. The substitution pattern told its own story — Slovácko brought on five players in the 59th minute, clearly managing their resources while maintaining pressure.
Sloncik pulled one back for Neratovice-Byšovice in the 64th minute, but the goal carried no real momentum. He had already been booked, and the response felt like damage limitation rather than hope. Marinelli was then substituted in the 69th minute, and the visitors' subs continued to come on — Havel, Alabi, Magdi — each one reinforcing their grip on the result.
The statistics, if you bother to look at them, show Slovácko dominated possession and created chances at will. But the real picture lies in the timeline: four goals in 58 minutes, three yellow cards for the home side, and one for the visitors. This was not a match that needed drama — it simply needed Slovácko to be clinical, which they were.
For Neratovice-Byšovice, the result marks a reset after what had been an encouraging sequence of results. They had drawn with Benátky nad Jizerou, won ten different matches in succession, and looked dangerous in attack. But against a side with European pedigree, the gap was apparent. Slovácko, meanwhile, have now moved past this hurdle and can turn their attention to the quarter-final draw.