Bet highlight:

•Fight for 3rd place in the table

•Rested Pilsen

•Two evenly matched teams

Full analysis:

The highlight of the weekend round of the Czech league. Sparta at home to Pilsen. Only 2 points separate the two teams. If Sparta wins they will jump to 2nd place in the league table ahead of Baník Ostrava. If Plzeň wins, they will move up to 3rd place ahead of Sparta, while Baník will be 1 point behind them.

Last year both teams met 4 times. 2 times Pilsen won, once Sparta won and once we saw a draw. This season, Plzeň beat Sparta 1-0 at home. I also expect an even match today, which both teams will want to manage for 3 points. Even a draw would be relatively acceptable. However, a loss would be a big complication for one of the teams in the fight for 2-3rd place in the table.

My pick is also influenced by the odds, which underestimate Pilsen a lot. The latter dropped out of the Europa League quarter-finals after the battle with Lazio Rome and can fully concentrate on the Czech league. The national team break also came in handy. So I expect the team to be fully rested and hungry for Sparta. When I look at the current form of the teams and the game they are playing, I think Plzeň is the better team. They played great football in the European Cup and fought until the last minutes in Rome for promotion chances. Moreover, the team is also driven by individuality. Pavel Šulc has long outgrown the Czech league and will 99% go abroad in the summer. Plzeň also has great quality in attack. I've already mentioned the Dorusinmi - Adu duo several times. Third striker Matěj Vydra will also do his part. Jedlička excels in goal.

As for Sparta, I still have conflicting feelings about them. After 7 wins in a row came a slap on the field of mediocre Liberec, who won 1:0. Overall, they don't give a reliable impression. The team lacks the dominance of some individuals as it was last season.

I believe in Plzeň in this match. The odds of 1.85 for them not to lose seem really great to me.