Liberec Bilí Tygři U20 went down 2-3 to Litvínov U20 in the opening fixture of the ELŽ season on Thursday. The visitors took all three points from the first match of the campaign, while the hosts ended a barren spell of results with a win but still found themselves on the wrong side of the scoreline.
It was a contest where the away side proved decisive, turning around what looked like a stable start when they needed to. By then, the momentum had shifted clear, and Litvínov's ability to capitalize on opportunities told the story of the evening.
Both teams carried recent form into this encounter, though neither had played since March apart from Liberec's solitary August defeat. The hosts had lost 0-1 to Mlada-Boleslav U20 just weeks before, while Litvínov's March results included a 6-5 thriller against Zlin and a 4-0 victory over the same opposition.
With both sides now having played one game, the table sits at 0-0 in terms of games, but the gap opens immediately. Litvínov occupy third place on paper after the result, though that position means little with so few matches completed.
What matters here is the opening statement from both camps. Liberec will look to build on their sole previous result, while Litvínov fancy their chances after showing they can score freely when the game opens up.