Žilina saw off Dukla Trenčín 5:3 in a club friendly match on Thursday, 21 August 2026. The result gave the home side a satisfying bounce-back after losing to the same opponents just four days earlier. By then, both clubs were still finding their rhythm in pre-season preparations.
There is no value left in reading too much into the scoreline. The match featured goals from both sides, and Trenčín saw the game out despite the deficit. To be fair, both teams had been active in recent friendlies with mixed results.
Žilina came into this fixture having beaten Zlín 4:2 on 18 August, but they had also taken heavy defeats against Dynamo Pardubice and Poprad HC earlier in the year. Trenčín had lost 2:3 to Zlín on 20 August, just a day before this encounter. The support of the fans could be called devoted, but that is an assessment, not a fact.
And here's the thing about these friendlies — neither manager was going to risk their first-choice XI for a result that would not count in any standings. Both sides rotated through their squads and tested different combinations.
The recent history between them adds an edge to this fixture. On 14 August, Trenčín had won 3:2 away at Žilina, so this result would have mattered to the home supporters. The clean-sheet run came to an end for both clubs in this match.