BRATISLAVA, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Leaders Dunajska Streda notched their sixth win in the 2020-21 season in as many games in the Slovak premier football league Fortuna Liga with a close 3-2 win over Ruzomberok on Saturday in a duel marked by two red cards.
Reigning champions Slovan Bratislava managed to overcome its biggest rival Trnava 2-0, and sit six points behind unbeaten Dunajska Streda with one game in hand.
Things were not looking good for Dunajska Streda as the visitors from Ruzomberok took the lead through Ladislav Almasi's goal in the 20th minute when the young striker capitalized on a great one-touch pass by Matus Kmet. The referee sent Dunajska Streda's Janik Muller off the pitch after two fouls in quick succession moments later.
But the club from the south of Slovakia managed to beat the odds and scored three goals within six minutes in the second half despite being one man short, two of them by Zsolt Kalmar.
Ruzomberok succeeded in cutting the lead to one thanks to Kmet who came on top after a series of shots and saves in Dunajska Streda's penalty box and enabled the visitors to push for their fifth draw in six rounds. But their efforts got thwarted by Martin Boda's red card in the final minute of regulation and Dunajska Streda defended the 3-2 lead.
In the 157th edition of the notorious duel between two ancient rivals, Slovan Bratislava and Spartak Trnava, the team from the nation's capital came out on top after a convincing 2-0 victory.
It was the debut for Bratislava's new coach Darko Milanic who just signed with the team on Monday.
Bratislava is among several towns with a high rate of new coronavirus cases and the Pandemic Committee restricted local fans from attending the match so only empty stands and the TV broadcast crew saw the home team's Slovenian striker Zan Medved open the score in the 13th minute when he was left unguarded and had no trouble putting the ball in Trnava's net after Rafael Ratao's great center pass from the left side.
Ten minutes later, Spanish midfielder Nono curved the ball beautifully over the wall on a set-piece and Dobrivoj Rusov had to fish the ball out of his net for the second and final time.
Elsewhere, in a match-up of Fortuna Liga's worst teams, Michalovce and Trencin split the points after a 1-1 draw. Nitra beat Pohronie 3-1, Sered edged Zilina 3-2 and Moravce had a goalless draw with Senica. Enditem
