Head-to-Head
- Sigma lead the two-leg tie 3-1 after a convincing away win in Prague last weekend.
- Sigma have beaten Bohemians in three of their last five meetings in all competitions, winning the last two meetings.
SK Sigma Olomouc
- SK Sigma Olomouc will look to close out the tie and advance to the placement final when they host Bohemians 1905 in the second leg of their 1. Liga - Placement Playoffs on Sunday.
- Sigma’s 3-1 victory over Bohemians in Prague gives the Moravian side a psychological and tactical advantage going into this clash at Andrův stadion.
- Fabijan Krivák struck a brace to punish Bohemians’ slow back four, while Antonín Růsek added the cherry on top for Pavel Hapal’s charges.
- Sigma’s form has been inconsistent, but they have been trending in the right direction since club legend Pavel Hapal took over as manager.
- Sigma will be playing with a clear lead and they can afford to absorb Bohemians’ pressure and strike on the counter-attack on the few occasions when the visitors commit numbers forward.
Bohemians 1905
- Bohemians, who have the capability to make this matchup a tight and tense affair, are led by Jaroslav Veselý, a shrewd tactician who is known for his pragmatic, compact setups and ability to get a tune out of players who don’t always tick the box on paper.
- The visitors finished 10th in the Czech First League regular season with 36 points from 30 matches, seven points and three positions below Sigma, who collected 43 points for their 7th-placed finish.
- Bohemians’ form has been equally as patchy with three wins and two defeats in their last five.
- A repeat performance would be catastrophic for the Prague outfit, who will need to find at least two goals this Sunday to take the tie to extra time.
Key Players
- Fabijan Krivák is a proven scorer for Sigma and will punish the Bohemians for any defensive lapses in concentration on Sunday.
- Sigma play a vertical, transition-based style of soccer that is direct and high-tempo.
- Lukáš Hůlka, Bohemians’ captain and defensive leader, is a dependable defender with plenty of experience at this level.
- Hůlka netted from the penalty spot in the first leg, but Sigma have the better goalkeeper in Jan Koutný, who is a rock at the heart of the defense and an asset in high-stakes playoff soccer.
- Bohemians can be caught by long balls in behind, which is where Sigma will look to exploit in the hope of hitting the counter-attack.
- David Lischka is among Bohemians’ top scorers this season, while Aleš Čermák and Jan Matoušek can provide creativity and a spark in midfield and forward positions.
- Antonín Růsek and Daniel Vašulín can do the same for Sigma, with Růsek on a good run of form after scoring in the 3-1 victory last time out, while Vašulín is among the club’s top league scorers this term.
Betting Insights
- The hosts are 1.88 to win this matchup, which seems generous for a team with home advantage and an aggregate lead, while the 3.68 about the away side looks extremely high for a side who are on the back foot.
- Over 2.5 goals at 1.67 makes far more appeal for this contest, as the importance of the game and Sigma’s aggregate lead will ensure there is plenty of drama in Olomouc on Sunday.
Prediction
- This tie isn’t over yet, however, as the hosts need to keep their focus and maintain the intensity that they displayed in the capital.
- Pavel Hapal has added pragmatism and renewed focus to this squad and they should have too much in the tank to let this tie slip on Sunday.
