Mihalovce Dukla claimed a hard-fought 6:5 victory over Nitra in the Slovak Extraliga on Friday evening. The home side survived a nervous finish to secure all three points at their own rink. Both teams came into the fixture winless from six matches, which made this encounter feel heavier than the table suggested.
The scoreline tells only half the story. Mihalovce had lost four of their previous five games, including a heavy 0:3 defeat to Slovan Bratislava. Nitra were similarly struggling, with only a single win from their opening round of fixtures. By then, both camps were desperate for momentum.
And here's the thing about this result — it confirms a prediction made before kickoff. We had backed the home side at 44 per cent confidence, and despite the narrow margin, that call proved correct. The hosts showed enough composure in the final stages to hold off what could have been a late equaliser.
Nitra's attacking intent was evident throughout. They had already demonstrated their ability to score against Žilina in their previous outing, and they carried that threat into this match. The visitors took the game to Mihalovce for large periods, which is why the final score feels closer than the performance warranted.
The standings remain unchanged after this round of fixtures. Both clubs sit winless from six games, though Mihalovce's victory means they hold ninth place while Nitra drop to eleventh. The gap between them is negligible — one point separates the two sides in the table.
What matters most is the psychological boost for Mihalovce. After losing to Spišská Nová Ves and Dukla Trenčín in consecutive weeks, this win extends their resilience. Nitra will need to regroup quickly if they want to avoid falling further behind in what is shaping up to be a tight contest for survival.
