Slovan Liberec vs Ústí nad Labem

The first half was a cagey affair typical of early pre-season. Ústí started the brighter of the two sides, creating several quick counter-attacks in the opening minutes, though none seriously tested Liberec goalkeeper Tomáš Koubek. Slovan grew into the game after the 15-minute mark, with Afolabi Soliu proving a menace on the turnover, but the visitors responded by packing the midfield and restricting space.

A dangerous effort from Idumbo-Muzambo from outside the box in the 29th minute forced a save from Koubek, while Slovan's best chance of the half fell to Daniel Rus in the 44th minute — he failed to convert from Soliu's low cross as Ústí's defence blocked well.

The match goalless at the break, Liberec raised the tempo in the second half. Substitute Petr Hodouš wasted a clear opportunity in the 51st minute, firing wide from the edge of the box after another poor Ústí clearance, but he made amends four minutes later.

55' — GOAL: Slovan Liberec 1-0 Ústí nad Labem Patrik Dulay drove forward and delivered a precise pass into the path of Hodouš, who finished calmly to open the scoring.

81' — GOAL: Slovan Liberec 2-0 Ústí nad Labem With the game winding down, Ústí goalkeeper Holý dallied on a goal-kick. Lukáš Mašek pressed aggressively, blocked the clearance, and watched the ball loop into the empty net to seal the result.

Hodouš's 55th-minute opener was decisive. He had squandered a near-identical chance only four minutes earlier, but Dulay's incisive pass and Hodouš's composure broke Ústí's resistance and forced the visitors onto the front foot, creating the space Mašek later exploited.

• Petr Hodouš (Slovan Liberec): Missed a gilt-edged chance in the 51st minute but showed character to score the opener four minutes later. Active throughout his second-half cameo.
• Lukáš Mašek (Slovan Liberec): His relentless pressing forced the goalkeeper error that produced the second goal — a moment that showcased exactly what Fodrek will demand from his forwards.
• Tomáš Koubek (Slovan Liberec): The experienced goalkeeper made a sharp save from Idumbo-Muzambo in the first half and commanded his area well during his 45-minute run-out.
• Patrik Dulay (Slovan Liberec): Provided the key assist for the opening goal with a driving run and threaded pass.

Slovan Liberec fielded two entirely different XIs across the 90 minutes, a standard pre-season approach. The first half produced few clear chances (0-0) as Liberec's new-look side — captained by debutant Fallou Faye — took time to find rhythm under Fodrek's system. The second-half XI, featuring more experienced heads like Hůlka and Musil, generated both goals and dominated territory. Ústí's best spell came in the opening 15 minutes, after which Liberec gradually asserted control.

This was the first match of summer preparations for both sides. Slovan Liberec finished 5th in the Czech Chance Liga in 2025/26 (46 points from 35 games) and are now under new management — Slovak coach Branislav Fodrek, appointed to replace the previous regime. Ústí nad Labem compete in the Czech National League (second tier).

Next up for Slovan Liberec:

• vs Dukla Prague (4 July, friendly)
• vs Rapid București (9 July, friendly)
• vs Puskás Akadémia (14 July, friendly)

Next up for Ústí nad Labem:

• vs Hradec Králové (date TBC, friendly — listed in their summer schedule)

A workmanlike start for Fodrek's Liberec. The clean sheet and two well-taken second-half goals will please the new coach, but the disjointed first-half performance — with numerous turnovers and a slow start — shows there is considerable work to do before the Chance Liga season begins. For Ústí, the defensive resilience in the first half was encouraging, but the lapse on Mašek's goal is a clear focus area.

Match played at Hrádek nad Nisov on 27 June 2026. Referee: Ondřej Pechanec.