PLZEN, Czech Republic (Interstat) — FK Pardubice scored twice and held off Plzen 2-1 on Sunday, using Victor Samuel’s first-half goal and a later response after Amar Memic had equalized. The visitor absorbed pressure and made the decisive play after the break, handing Plzen a home defeat in the competition. The result left both teams with 2-1 records in the competition. Pardubice improved to 3-1 across all competitions, while Plzen fell to 2-3 overall. Pardubice arrived after a 3-0 win over Zlin and a 2-0 loss at Sparta Prague in recent competition play. Plzen had lost 2-1 to Levski Sofia and won 3-2 at Jablonec. The first half included bookings for both sides and ended with Pardubice ahead after Samuel’s 22nd-minute goal.

Amar Memic scored Plzen’s goal in the 49th minute, with Merchas Doski providing the assist. Victor Samuel had put Pardubice ahead in the 22nd minute. Memic played 69 minutes before being substituted. Samuel, who played 56 minutes, was replaced in the 56th minute shortly after halftime. Pardubice then regained the lead and protected the advantage through the closing stages. Plzen made a triple change at halftime, bringing on Panos J., Visinsky D. and Cerv L. Pardubice brought on Botos G. in the 56th minute alongside the Samuel change. Plzen removed Memic in the 69th minute. Pardubice used Drchal V. in the 74th, Icha M. in the 88th and Tanko A. in the 89th. Plzen substituted Hrosovsky P. in the 77th minute.

Discipline shaped parts of the match. Plzen’s Kabongo C. was booked in the seventh minute. Pardubice’s Halinsky D. was cautioned in the 17th. Hlavaty M. received a yellow card in the 65th, and Mahuta R. was booked in the 68th, giving Pardubice three cautions in a match that grew more physical as it wore on. Plzen’s changes at halftime altered the shape, and the substitutions continued on both sides as the game moved into its final quarter-hour. Doski remained on the field for the full 90 minutes and delivered the assist on Memic’s goal. Pardubice’s bench responded with fresh legs for the final stretch, while Plzen used its remaining changes to search for an equalizer. The yellow cards forced both teams to be more careful in the tackle during the closing minutes.

The match hinged on Pardubice’s ability to answer after Memic’s equalizer. Plzen pushed forward after the interval, but Pardubice’s second goal restored the visitor’s advantage and forced Plzen to chase the game again. Pardubice’s late substitutions helped protect the lead, while Plzen’s final changes could not produce another equalizer. The final whistle confirmed Pardubice’s second competition win and left Plzen with a second competition loss. Across all competitions, Pardubice moved to 3-1 and Plzen to 2-3. The closing stages featured more stoppages and substitutions than clear chances, and Pardubice managed the final minutes well enough to secure the result. Plzen’s search for a late goal came up short as Pardubice held its shape.

Pardubice’s victory gave it a split of its last three competition matches and a 3-1 overall mark. Plzen’s defeat left it at 2-1 in the competition but 2-3 across all competitions. The home side had won 3-2 at Jablonec in its previous competition match, while Pardubice had beaten Zlin 3-0 at home. Those recent results set up a match that remained close through the final whistle and was decided by Pardubice’s second goal.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Plzen 4, FK Pardubice 3. Interstat’s ELO system had projected FK Pardubice with a 68.9 percent probability to win. Plzen had been installed as the pregame favorite with a spread of -0.75. The total score was 3, with an over/under line of 2.5.