Podbrezová saw off Rudniany 3-0 in the Cup Round of 128 on Wednesday. The Slovak side took the tie deep into the first half and then finished the job early in the second. Rudniany had no answers to the visitors' movement.
Two goals landed just before the break. B. Mrvaljevic and L. Silagadze both found the net in the forty-fifth minute. And here's the thing — the visitors didn't need to settle for a comfortable lead until the second half. Podbrezová took control straight away.
The third goal came in the fifty-seventh minute. No scorer was recorded for that strike, but the damage was already done. Podbrezová could have won by a larger margin, but they were content to see the game out without further risk.
Rudniany's recent record tells a story of inconsistency. They lost 1-0 to Garikhovtsi in July 2025 and drew 1-1 with MŠK Strupkov the following year. Since then they've not been able to string together a run of results.
Podbrezová arrived in much better shape. They beat Trenčín 2-1 on August 15th and thrashed Ružomberok 4-1 a week earlier. The only blemish was a 3-0 defeat to Slovan Bratislava, but that's cup football — the table goes out of the window in these games.
To be fair, the visitors didn't need to dominate possession to win. Three goals from three chances was enough. Rudniany were second-best for most of the match and offered little in attack.
The tie is over before it really began. Podbrezová advance to the next round with something to spare, while Rudniany's cup campaign ends at the first hurdle.