The long international break took the Šošoni to Olomouc, where they faced Sigma in ideal conditions at the club’s main stadium. The opening half was an entertaining affair, with chances at both ends, but only one found the net as a deflected effort from the hosts gave Sigma the lead before the break.
The decisive second blow came shortly after the restart when Beran produced a superb strike to extend the home side’s advantage. From then on, the match became more of a midfield battle, with clear-cut chances few and far between. Sigma eventually put the game beyond doubt ten minutes from time before adding a late penalty to complete the scoring. The Šošoni therefore fell to a 4:0 defeat in their final outing before the Niké Liga resumes.
Head coach Vladimír Veselý used the international-break friendly to give minutes to virtually everyone available within the squad. New arrivals Johan Albin, Marcus Traoré and Kenan Bilalović all started, with the Swedish defender wearing the captain’s armband, while Marko Roginić was deployed at centre-back.
Despite its friendly status, the match started at a high tempo. The Šošoni created the first big chance through Andrea Florea, while Xavi Adang soon tested former Žilina goalkeeper Matúš Hruška from distance. Sigma gradually grew into the game and forced several saves from Dávid Šípoš, who once again proved one of Žilina’s standout performers.
At the other end, Adang and Bilalović both came close before the hosts broke the deadlock in the 38th minute. Janošek struck from distance, with a slight deflection and the post helping the ball into the net for 1:0.
Žilina made one change at the break, introducing Patrik Iľko, but Sigma doubled their lead shortly after the restart when Beran curled a fine effort into the top corner. Dani Homet then returned to action after injury and immediately brought fresh energy to the attack, but the flow of the game was disrupted by numerous substitutions on both sides.
The home side added a third through substitute Dembe, who finished into an empty net after a low cross across the box. Homet twice threatened to pull a goal back, but the Šošoni could not find a breakthrough. A late penalty completed the scoring as Žilina fell to a 4:0 defeat in Olomouc.
The focus now shifts back to competitive football. The Šošoni return to Niké Liga action on 11 October away to Ružomberok, before hosting Dunajská Streda in the special Match of Generations at the Stadium under the Dubeň hill a week later. Tickets are on sale now.
Post-match reactions
“It was a valuable test for us. The result isn’t what we wanted, but the match showed us both the things that worked well and the areas we need to improve. We’ll analyse it thoroughly and use it as a good learning tool moving forward.There were positive moments in our performance, but I’m disappointed with the goals we conceded. We could have been more aggressive and compact defensively. At the same time, it was good to give opportunities to players from the wider squad and see them in action.Most importantly, we got the type of match practice we were looking for ahead of the league restart and the upcoming game against Ružomberok.”
Michal Šmarda, MŠK Žilina assistant coach
“The result is important for us because it helps build confidence. We didn’t start the game particularly well and it took us a while to find our rhythm. We’re trying to play our football and be more precise in certain situations. At times, we gave the ball away too easily, which held us back a little.The players approached the match in the right way. It’s been an intense week with plenty of hard work on the training pitch, so the result is a positive one for us. Now our focus turns to Teplice.”
Pavel Hapal, SK Sigma Olomouc headcoach
“It was a very good test for us. We were comfortable on the ball and looked dangerous in the final third throughout the first half. After the break, we didn’t keep possession as well, started playing more direct and the opposition punished us for our mistakes.Even so, it was a valuable challenge and a good benchmark ahead of the league restart. The most important thing was staying in match rhythm, especially for those of us who haven't played as many minutes recently.Hopefully we can pick up where we left off in the league. We’ll have the full squad back together, head to Ružomberok and go there looking for all three points. We know it won’t be easy because they’re always a tough opponent for us, but that has to be our aim.”
Samuel Ďatko, MŠK Žilina midfielder
