The Czech First League kicked off this weekend, and Estonian international Vlasiy Sinyavskiy made a strong impression in his debut for Bohemians 1905, helping his new side earn a 1–0 home victory over Banik Ostrava.
The 28-year-old winger, who joined Bohemians this summer after three seasons with another Czech club, Slovácko, started the match in his preferred left-back position. Bohemians, who finished eighth in the league last season, hosted a high-profile opponent in Banik Ostrava — last year’s surprise package who took third place, earning their first podium finish since the 2009/10 season. Banik are also set to begin their Europa League qualifying campaign on Thursday against Polish giants Legia Warsaw.
While the visitors controlled much of the first half, with more possession and the first clear chance coming in the 10th minute via Jiří Boula, whose long-range shot narrowly missed the left post, it was Bohemians who struck first. In the 17th minute, a well-worked move from flank to flank found Hulka on the right wing, who headed the ball back across the penalty area. There, Yusuf, the Bahraini international striker, collected it cleanly and rifled a shot from the center of the box into the net to give the hosts a 1–0 lead — much to the delight of the home crowd.
The goal left Banik momentarily stunned, and Bohemians nearly doubled their lead just minutes later when another dangerous attack ended with a teammate heading just wide of the goal. However, Banik gradually regained composure and pushed forward, controlling the rest of the half but failing to find an equalizer before the break.
The second half was more evenly balanced, though both teams had nervy moments involving VAR checks for potential penalties, one at each end. In both cases, the referee stood by the original decisions, and no penalties were awarded.
The match ended in a narrow 1–0 victory for Bohemians, a strong start to the campaign against a top-three side. Sinyavskiy played the full 90 minutes in his official debut and earned positive reviews for his performance.
Bohemians’ next league fixture is set for next Saturday, when they’ll face Slavia Prague in a small Prague derby, marking another early test in their campaign.
