Extra-league mathematics: Pardubice with Budějovice for the quarterfinals, Vary with Litvínov for the preliminary round

Energie surprised on Sunday with a win in Pilsen, and since Litvínov, on the other hand, lost its last two matches, the fight for twelfth place is still open. And coincidentally, Energie and Verva will share a fair against each other in the Ore Mountains derby. The people of Karlovy Vary need to win in the basic playing time, every other result is moved to the Litvínov preliminary round, for which, in case of a point match, a better balance from mutual matches will decide.

“It will be tense,” admits 26-year-old Energie goalkeeper Štěpán Lukeš, who will also face his 13-year-old brother František, a chemist striker, on Tuesday. “If there’s a brother, I’m not dealing with it. Maybe I’ll push him a little so he can’t, but we’ll see, “the goalkeeper smiles.

The inconvenience for Karlovy Vary is that the match cannot take place in their KV Arena. It became a center for assistance to Ukrainian refugees, and a humanitarian aid warehouse was built in it. The key battle must take place in Chomutov.

“We are very sorry, but unfortunately there is nothing we can do. We have to accept it and beat them on another ice, “Štěpán Lukeš shrugged.

The fight for fourth place and the direct progress to the quarterfinals will be just as exciting. It has only shrunk to the fourth in České Budějovice and the sixth in Pardubice, because the fifth Pilsen has already played all the matches and is off on Tuesday.

Pardubice, which has fallen eight times in a row, needs to win for fourth place for three points on the ice of descending Zlín and at the same time they have to hope that České Budějovice will come out empty-handed in Hradec Králové. If Dynamo fails after 60 minutes or the South Bohemians get at least one point, Motor goes straight to the quarterfinals.

“We know what awaits us. We have to go to Zlín for clear three points and hope for the victory of Hradec Králové, “said Pardubice defender Jan Košťálek.