Zlin vs Slavia Prague Prediction: Visitors need to win to close league gap

Letná will serve as the host venue for the round 17 clash between Zlin and Slavia Prague. Leading up to this match, the hosts are grappling with challenges to avoid relegation, while the visiting side enters the fixture on the back of an impressive unbeaten run.

Zlín seeks improvement from their recent performance, following a 2-1 First League loss in their last outing against Teplice. In that match, Zlín had 56% possession and took 7 shots at goal, with 2 on target. Tom Slončík (59') was the lone scorer for Zlín, while Daniel Fila (36', 62') netted both goals for Teplice. In their last 6 fixtures, Bronislav Červenka's Zlín has found the back of the net 10 times, averaging 1.67 goals per match.

Analyzing their recent form, Zlín has not secured a victory against Slavia Prague in their last 9 league matches and has been without a home win in their past 4 league matches.

Slavia Prague enters the upcoming clash on the back of a thrilling 4-3 First League victory against Baumit Jablonec in their latest match. In that game, Slavia Prague dominated with 69% possession and made 29 attempts on goal, 5 of which were on target. Conrad Wallem (3', 11') and Václav Jurečka (24', 97') were the goal-scorers for Slavia Prague, while Vakhtang Chanturishvili (5'), Jan Chramosta (14'), and Jakub Martinec (48') found the net for Baumit Jablonec.

Demonstrating a penchant for high-scoring encounters, Slavia Prague has witnessed a total of 23 goals in their last six matches, averaging 3.83 goals per fixture, with their opponents contributing 6 goals. Examining their historical matchups, Slavia Prague has not suffered a defeat to Zlín in their last 4 away league games and maintains an unbeaten record in their last 9 league matches away from home.

Reviewing their recent head-to-head results dating back to April 2021 reveals a challenging trend for Zlín. They have been unable to secure any victories in these encounters, with Slavia Prague asserting dominance by winning 100% of these matches. A total of 19 goals were scored collectively in these clashes, with Zlín contributing 3 goals and Slavia Prague scoring 16. This results in an average of 3.17 goals per game between the two teams during this period.

The away team appears to be formidable and is unlikely to face a defeat here, especially after a hard-fought victory against Jablonec over the weekend. They recognize the need to bolster their defensive solidity while maintaining their strong offensive performance. Conversely, Zlin seems to have slim chances of escaping relegation, and despite being the home team, they are anticipated to struggle to score in this match. Consequently, envisioning a dominant performance, I expect Slavia Prague to secure a victory with a three-goal margin.