Sparta Praha vs Salzburg
Champions League this season
View moreOutcome Breakdown
| GP | P | GD | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | 6 | 4 | -11 | |
| 32 | 6 | 3 | -15 |
SPA
RBS
Salzburg visits Sparta Praha as UCL campagin begins.
In their first UEFA Champions League group stage appearance in 19 years, Sparta Praha, buoyed by a dominant domestic start, face a Salzburg side eager to bounce back from a recent league setback, setting the stage for an exhilarating encounter at the epet Arena.
Sparta Praha
Sparta Prague are currently in commanding form, boasting six wins and a draw from their first seven league matches. They are coming off a 2-0 away victory over Hradec Králové, with goals scored by Lukáš Haraslín and Albion Rrahmani.
This Wednesday’s clash against Salzburg marks Sparta’s first return to the Champions League proper in 19 years. The two sides last encountered each other during the 1997/98 Champions League qualifying round, which saw Sparta advance after a home victory.
Sparta carries an impressive record against Austrian teams, with only one defeat in nine encounters. Their strong European home form is notable, with just one loss in their last 11 home matches, a defeat to Liverpool last season.
Albion Rrahmani, an in-form forward who recently scored for Kosovo in the UEFA Nations League, is expected to lead Sparta in a 3—4—3 formation. His presence is pivotal to their attacking strategy in the upcoming match.
Salzburg
On the other side, Salzburg heads into this match following a surprising 3-2 defeat to SK Rapid in the Austrian Bundesliga, marking their first loss of the season after three consecutive wins [WWWL]. Despite taking an early lead through Dorgeles Nene [5'], this defeat was an unexpected setback for Pep Lijnders' side.
Appointed head coach in May, Lijnders has been tasked with rebuilding Salzburg, who ended their streak of ten successive Austrian Bundesliga titles last season, finishing behind Sturm Graz. With their Champions League campaign now in focus, Salzburg aims to improve their European form after qualifying through the playoffs with a win over Dynamo Kyiv.
However, their away record in Europe has been inconsistent, securing only two victories in their last 13 European away matches [2W, 5D, 6L]. Salzburg has been a regular presence in the Champions League, now competing in the initial stage for the sixth consecutive season.
They struggled in last season's group stage, finishing fourth in Group D with just four points from six games [1W, 1D, 4L] against tough opponents like Real Sociedad, Inter Milan, and Benfica. Lijnders is expected to opt for a 4-3-3 formation, with Adam Daghim and Moussa Yeo supporting Petar Ratkov in attack.
Salzburg will be missing key players for this match, with Maurits Kjærgaard [Achilles tendon] and Karim Konaté unavailable for their trip to Prague.
Team form
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Team Comparison
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