Cracovia came from behind to beat Příbram 3:2 in a club friendly on Wednesday evening. The Polish side turned things around after falling behind, and by then had seen the game out against a hosts' side that looked comfortable enough at half-time.
Both teams have been busy with pre-season preparations, and the recent results suggest neither side has found rhythm yet. Příbram's last five games read like a rollercoaster — 0:1, 3:2, 2:4, 0:4, 5:1. To be fair, the same could be said of Cracovia's form, particularly their encounters with Bytom: 4:5, 0:5, 3:5.
And here's the thing about friendlies like this — the scoreline tells you very little. Cracovia's three goals against Příbram's two might suggest dominance, but neither side was playing with anything approaching competitive intensity. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact.
What matters more is the pattern. Příbram have been vulnerable at the back in their recent outings, conceding eight goals in three of their last five matches. Cracovia, meanwhile, have scored in every game since January but have also found the net five times on two separate occasions. The table goes out of the window in these games.
Neither side has anything to prove yet this season. Příbram's loss keeps them in preparation mode, while Cracovia's victory gives them something positive to take forward. Both will need to find consistency before September arrives.