Slavia Prague secured a 4-2 victory over Sokolov in a club friendly match on Wednesday evening at the Letná stadium. The result gives the hosts a positive start to their pre-season preparations, though it comes with the usual caveats that apply to exhibition games. To be fair, neither side was testing themselves against opposition of the same calibre as they would face in league play.
Sokolov arrive with momentum. They beat Chomutov 4-1 on Monday and had won their previous two fixtures before a 3-4 defeat to Vajden on the 30th of August. There is a sense of confidence about them, but this friendly exposed a vulnerability they have shown before — they can score, yes, but they also concede.
Slavia Prague's form has been less consistent of late. They lost 2-4 to Kolín on Monday, following a 4-3 win over Litoměřice and a 0-2 defeat to Tábor. By then, you start thinking about whether this friendly was more about testing options than proving anything. They have the deeper squad, which means rotation becomes a factor rather than a necessity.
There is history here worth noting. The two sides met on the 21st of August last year, with Slavia winning 5-4 in a high-scoring affair. Sokolov scored four that day and managed two here. The pattern suggests these matches tend to open up rather than settle down.
Without goals or substitutions to reference, the match itself remains a blur of movement across the pitch. What stands out is the competitive edge both sides brought despite knowing nothing was at stake. And here's the thing — sometimes those are the friendlies that reveal more than the ones where everything is on the line.