Let’s be honest: the research folder on this one is thinner than a Czech winter pitch in July. No recent results, no expected lineups, no tactical notes — nothing. So we go back to basics, and the basics tell us a story. FK Pardubice are the great survivors of Czech football, the small-town club that keeps punching above its weight in the Fortuna Liga. They play at the compact, intimidating Stadion Pod Vinicí, where the crowd is close enough to hear the tackles. They are not pretty, but they are horrible to play against. Jablonec, meanwhile, are the classic mid-table drifters — capable of a flash of quality, but prone to disappearing on the road. Their recent away form has been patchy, to put it kindly. They have the talent in attack, but they lack the grit that Pardubice oozes. Momentum? It is opening day. Both sides are starting fresh, but Pardubice’s survival instinct is a permanent state of mind.