Poprad HK — Liptovský Mikuláš: 5:1, Extraliga

Poprad HK defeated Liptovsky Mikulas 5:1 in the Extraliga on Sunday evening. The home side took all three points against the visitors who sat second in the table. It was a convincing result that ended the away team's momentum.

Poprad came into the fixture after a heavy 4:0 defeat to Banska Bystrica just two days earlier. Their previous five matches showed a pattern of ups and downs — they had beaten Zilina and Slovan Bratislava but also lost to Kosice. Liptovsky Mikulas arrived on the back of three straight wins, including a clean sheet against Kosice.

and here's the thing — we had given Poprad the edge before kickoff. Our prediction called for a home victory with 63 per cent confidence. By then the visitors had accumulated five wins from seven games, yet the home side held their nerve against the pressure of facing the league's second-best outfit.

The match itself was not a spectacle of open hockey. Poprad made the difference with clinical finishing rather than sustained dominance. Liptovsky Mikulas were reduced to chasing the game and could not afford another slip in their campaign.

The result shifts the landscape slightly. Poprad move into seventh place with four wins from seven games. Liptovsky Mikulas remain in second but now have two defeats on their record — a team cannot afford another slip if they want to challenge at the top.