Slovan Bratislava made light work of Ružomberok at the Tehelné Pole Stadium on Saturday, cruising to a 5-0 victory in the Superliga's fourth round. The hosts have now won four of their six games this season, though the result does little to separate them from the mid-table pack. Ružomberok remain rooted to the bottom, winless in seven outings.
The opening goal came early enough to settle nerves. Kozlovsky found the net in the ninth minute, and Slovan kept pushing without rushing. By then, the pattern was clear — Ružomberok had no answer to the pressure. The visitors made several changes across the break, bringing on Medvedev and Marusin, but the second half brought no relief.
Maros doubled the lead in the 63rd minute before Matsuoka added a third just seven minutes later. Ružomberok's coach threw bodies into the middle, swapping Lavrincik and Tucny for Gajdos and Bajric, but the visitors ran out of legs. Kianga and Barseghyan piled on the misery in the 86th and 88th minutes respectively, and the game was put to bed well before full time.
The statistics tell the story of a one-sided afternoon. Slovan held 74 per cent possession and launched 124 attacks compared to Ružomberok's 46. The home side registered six shots on target with nine off, while the visitors managed three on target and three wide. Slovan created two big chances; Ružomberok created none. It was a case of many shots with few returns for the visitors.
And here's the thing about the table — Slovan sit fourth on 12 points, but only two clear of the teams around them. Ružomberok, meanwhile, remain on two points from seven games, with their goal difference a grim reflection of their struggles. That fourth straight win for Slovan will make life awkward for anyone chasing European spots, even if the gap remains tight.