On Tuesday, Sparta Prague will welcome Swedish side Malmo to the Czech Republic for the second leg of a Champions League playoff tie.
Sparta Prague is on the brink of reaching the Champions League main draw after recording a 2-0 victory on last week's trip to Malmo.
Match Preview
Sparta Prague
Sparta Prague Recent Form
Sparta Prague enters this match with a strong record, having ousted Shamrock Rovers and FCSB in their previous two qualifying ties.
They recently extended their unbeaten start to the 2024-25 season to 11 matches in all competitions (W9, D2) following a 2-2 draw against Slovacko.
Additionally, they have maintained an 11-game unbeaten home run in all competitions since losing to Liverpool in March.
Sparta Prague Injury News
Sparta may have to cope without the services of Imanol Garcia, Roman Mokrovics, and David Pavelka due to injury.
Manager Lars Friis might revert to the same side that started the first leg, aiming to secure a place in the Champions League main draw.
Malmo
Malmo Recent Form
Malmo started their European campaign with a 6-4 aggregate win over KI, followed by a narrow 6-5 victory against PAOK after extra time to progress to the final qualifying round.
Despite scoring 12 goals in their last four European matches, Malmo was unable to find the net in the first leg against Sparta.
They also drew 2-2 with Kalmar in their last league game, a result that reflected their struggles in UEFA's elite club competition away from home.
Malmo Injury News
Malmo faces injury challenges of their own, missing key players like Niklas Moisander, Anton Tinnerholm, and Stefano Vecchia.
However, players such as Nils Zatterstrom, Sebastian Nanasi, Sergio Pena, and Isaac Kiese Thelin are likely to return to the starting lineup after being rested in their last domestic match.
Players To Watch
Sparta Prague Player To Watch
Victor Olatunji will be one to watch for Sparta Prague. He has already scored two goals in European competitions this season and will lead the line once again, hoping to capitalise on his current form to help his team advance to the Champions League group stage.
Malmo Player To Watch
Erik Botheim is a critical player for Malmo. With 10 goals in 20 league appearances this season, he is the key offensive threat for the Swedish side.
Botheim will be eager to translate his domestic form to the European stage and lead Malmo's charge to overturn the first-leg deficit.
Prediction
Sparta Prague holds a significant advantage with their 2-0 victory in the first leg.
Given their solid home form and Malmo's struggles on the road in the Champions League, it is likely that Sparta will secure a narrow victory to progress to the group stage. We predict a 2-1 win for Sparta Prague.
Sparta 
Malmö 
