Only 4 losses this season against very strong Italian teams shows that Como club is playing excellently this season. The almost undefeated club has already managed to beat Fiorentina away, so they should have a similar result in the cup. Fiorentina currently seems a bit better than usual, but they lack the stability of a team fighting for survival.

One of the weakest teams in the league faces a solid Leipzig team. Apart from matches against top teams, Leipzig has been playing extremely well this season and has won almost all of these types of matches. Pauli club is struggling to avoid relegation and seems to be in a very poor form. This season, Pauli is not only the worst home team in the league but also the least productive one, while Leipzig, in such good form, must win with a good coefficient.

Ruud seems to have changed not only his racket but also the game, attacking the rising ball and controlling both forehand and backhand well, taking both his serve and +1 shots. Receiving is not a miracle, so it's very realistic overall.
The downside may be that the night match has slightly slower balls, but maybe this is a plus for Ruud, as it will help his strength even out. I hope Shelton will still win, but it won't be easy.

Pauliukevičius UTMA crushes all of his opponents with explosive force. Score 4-0, all of Peru is confident in knockouts, with great strength and aggression.

Although Šalkovskij's score 2-1 is not bad, especially considering the loss to Dirksčius, it still doesn't come close to what Pauliukevičius demonstrates. The psychological handicap is also clearly in favor of Ignas. The incident during the joint interview, when he hit Šalkovskij in the face, seems to serve him even better - it's clear that Šalkovskij is morally affected.

No matter how much Edvinas repeats that he is completely relaxed and not making a big deal out of his opponent, it's obvious that it's the opposite. This is not a healthy sports anger, but a nervous anger caused by fear. In one interview, Šalkovskij even said that he is going into the fight to "enjoy" it, and whatever happens - happens, and life won't end if he loses. Such attitude and talking about the possibility of losing, especially before a fight against someone like Pauliukevičius, will definitely not help him win. On the contrary.

Meanwhile, Pauliukevičius looks completely tension-free, but let's hope he will control his wild aggression before the fight. I understand that the odds for this bet aren't high, but they're still not bad for this event. I see no real chances for Šalkovskij to win - it's like a train against a muscle car. Both are tough, but the outcome is clear. Even the notorious Dirkstys, while being in the same studio with Pauliukevičius, shows respect and doesn't hesitate to acknowledge his strength.

Pauliukevičius may not be the brightest UTMA fighter, but the fight won't be played like a game of chess. And he has no shortage of aggression, strength, and self-confidence. The home arena and fans won't help Šalkovskij either, in fact, it may only strengthen Pauliukevičius' sports drive. Most importantly, "wanna be Tyson" won't knock out his opponent's ear or arm in the ring 😁.

IEM Krakow 2026 Stage 1

There is a psychological handicap for Pauliukevicius here. Salkovskis, although still upset about the trauma caused by that slap, could feel the strength of Ignas during their conversation. This is not the first time Salkovskis has encountered resistance from Dirkst, but this time there was also a strong opponent in the ring - Ignas. Ignas, on the other hand, participated, fought, and each time seemed to handle the pressure better. This should bombard Pauliukevicius with the Salkovskis case, and Edvinas will need to succeed in catching that one decisive blow.