Ytě Jihlava made it look easy against Tábor in a friendly on Monday, running out 5:2 winners at home. The scoreline told you everything you needed to know about who was playing on the day. And here's the thing, this wasn't some rare occurrence for the home side against this particular opponent.
Tábor came with a mixed record coming into the fixture, having beaten Slavia Prague 2:0 on their last outing but also suffering a heavy 2:7 defeat to Jihlava back in August 2024. To be fair, that earlier result must have stuck in their minds as they walked onto the pitch. They arrived hoping to reverse that pattern, but the script followed its familiar arc.
Home form has been unpredictable for Jihlava recently, with results bouncing between the 4:2 victory and the 0:5 drubbing against Litvínov over recent weeks. By then, the confidence from that earlier success against Tábor had clearly returned. The goals came freely to a side that seemed to remember exactly how to break down this opposition.
The statistics wouldn't surprise anyone who watched: Jihlava dominated possession and created chances at will. Tábor had their moments, particularly in the second half, but they couldn't find the consistency to match their hosts. It was the sort of performance that made you think about what might happen if this form carried over into the competitive season.
For Tábor, the result served as another reminder of the gap that exists between them and the stronger sides. They had shown promise against Slavia Prague, but this outing exposed vulnerabilities that will need addressing. Five goals conceded in a friendly is a statement in itself.
Jihlava now look like a team that knows its strengths, particularly when facing opposition they have history with. The five-goal margin suggests a performance built on confidence rather than desperation. And here's the thing that matters most: they'll be hoping this isn't just a one-off against a side they've troubled before.