Ceske Budejovice vs Salzburg

Renārs Krastenbergs scored twice in 4:57 of the second period to overturn Salzburg's lead, and HC Motor České Budějovice ran away with a 5-1 pre-season victory at Budvar aréna on 12 August 2026. The win was Motor's second in three pre-season outings under new head coach Róbert Petrovický, while the Austrian visitors were playing their first preparation game of the 2026/27 campaign.

How It Unfolded

A scoreless first period offered little hint of the goal glut to come. Salzburg, missing seven regulars including Thomas Raffl and Nikita Bloch, grew into the game and tested Milan Klouček late in the frame, but the deadlock held at the first break.

The Red Bulls struck first at 24:15 when Maximilian Wurzer finished a pass from Oliver Galipeau to make it 0-1. But the lead lasted less than four minutes. Krastenbergs broke through on the wing following a turnover and beat David Kickert one-on-one at 28:04 to level the score at 1-1. The Latvian forward struck again at 33:01 on another quick counter-attack, giving Motor a 2-1 lead they carried into the second intermission.

České Budějovice put the game beyond reach in the third. Róbert Lantoši capitalised on the power play at 42:30 to make it 3-1, and just 53 seconds later Jakub Pour — assisted by Matyas Cicha — extended the lead to 4-1. Ondrej Vala completed the scoring at 54:39 with a blue-line blast off feeds from Michal Bulíř and Tomáš Kundrátek.

Turning Point

Salzburg's opening goal at 24:15 momentarily gave the visitors control, but Motor's response was immediate and decisive. Krastenbergs' quick equaliser 3:49 later — created by a Salzburg turnover in transition — shifted momentum permanently. Once ahead, České Budějovice pressed harder and never allowed Salzburg to regain their first-period rhythm.

Key Performers

• Renārs Krastenbergs (České Budějovice) — Two goals (28:04, 33:01), both on transition breaks, named the first star of the game by the club. The Latvian forward, signed from Olomouc, now has four pre-season goals across three appearances.
• Maximilian Wurzer (Salzburg) — Scored Salzburg's only goal at 24:15 with a well-timed finish from Galipeau's pass, the clear bright spot in an otherwise difficult evening for the Austrian side.
• David Kickert (Salzburg) — Faced sustained pressure in the second and third periods but made several sharp saves, including a breakaway stop on Marek Zachar in the 56th minute, preventing an even wider margin.
• Ondrej Vala (České Budějovice) — Sealed the result with a powerful blue-line goal at 54:39, part of a defensive unit that held Salzburg to just the one goal despite the visitors' early promise.

By the Numbers

The provider data shows a 5-1 final scoreline (0-0, 2-1, 3-0) with České Budějovice converting 1 of 8 power-play opportunities to Salzburg's 0 of 1. The penalty differential — 8-1 in Salzburg's direction — tells the story of a game that grew increasingly one-sided as Motor's relentless forecheck forced the visitors into repeated infringements. Salzburg head coach Alan Letang noted post-match that the team's penalty kill worked well but that transition play and puck handling need improvement.

What It Means

The result is České Budějovice's second win in three pre-season friendlies (4-0 vs Tábor, 2-3 vs Jihlava) as they build toward the 2026/27 Tipsport Extraliga season under Petrovický's new system. Salzburg, reigning ICE Hockey League champions from the 2024/25 season but eliminated in the quarter-finals last spring, now travel to Hradec Králové on 15 August for their next friendly before the Red Bulls Salute tournament in Zell am See-Kaprun (21-22 August) and the CHL regular-season opener on 3 September.

Verdict

A pre-season mismatch in experience — Motor playing its third game to Salzburg's first — showed in the second-period physicality and the third-period blowout. Krastenbergs looks like an early-season asset for Petrovický. Salzburg will sharpen quickly with game reps, but the defensive structure needs work before the CHL opener.