In the Slovak top flight, Latvian international defender Daniels Balodis and his new club Tatran Prešov kicked off their season with a resilient 2-2 home draw against league heavyweights Slovan Bratislava.
The 27-year-old center-back, who officially joined Tatran just a week ago as a free agent after leaving Scottish side St. Johnstone, began the match on the bench. Tatran Prešov, returning to the Slovak top division after a brief absence, faced a stern test hosting the reigning champions Slovan Bratislava, fresh off a commanding 4-0 victory over Bosnian champions Zrinjski in the UEFA Champions League second qualifying round just four days prior.
Slovan controlled possession for much of the game, but clear chances were rare. The deadlock was finally broken when Angolan winger Sandro Cruz delivered a cross from the left flank, allowing Ukrainian striker Mykola Kukharevych to outjump his marker and head home, putting Slovan ahead 1-0.
However, Tatran responded immediately, catching the champions off guard. Within seconds of the restart, a corner kick was won and delivered by Michal Šiplak to the far post, where Slovak teammate Martin Regáli rose to head in the equalizer, leveling the score at 1-1 in the new Slovak top-flight season.
The champions regained the lead in the 39th minute as Ghanaian Kelvin Ofori latched onto a long pass at the edge of the box, cutting inside to curl a precise shot into the bottom left corner, making it 2-1 for Slovan.
Just before halftime, drama unfolded when the referee was called to review a penalty incident via VAR. Polish forward Łukasz Wolsztyński was tripped in the box by Slovan’s Greek legionnaire Kyriakos Savvidis. The referee awarded the penalty, but Wolsztyński’s spot-kick, aimed down the center, was expertly saved by the Slovan goalkeeper, preserving the 2-1 lead going into the break.
The second half saw Tatran grow in confidence. A key turnover inside Slovan’s box led to slick passing, culminating in Wolsztyński’s assist for Stanislav Olejník, who calmly finished one-on-one with the keeper to restore parity at 2-2.
Slovan pressed hard late on, prompting coach to bolster the defense by bringing on Daniels Balodis in the 78th minute. The Latvian defender made his official debut for Tatran at a crucial moment, helping the team hold firm. Tatran’s collective defensive effort paid off as they secured their first point against Slovan Bratislava since September 2016.
Balodis and Tatran Prešov will look to build on this solid start when they visit Žilina next Sunday.
