At Letná, Sparta will try to reach the 4th preliminary round of the LM via Copenhagen

FC Copenhagen – Sparta Prague, opening match of the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League, 8 August 2023. Elias Jelert (centre) from Copenhagen.

Prague – The players of Sparta will welcome FC Copenhagen in Tuesday's rematch of the 3rd preliminary round of the Champions League. The opening match in the Danish capital ended goalless last week. The teams got into the mood for the match with a win at the weekend and still haven't found a winner in the season. The sold-out Letná match will start at 19:00.

Advertisement'; }

In addition to progressing to the final 4th preliminary round, the Prague team will also strive for their first win over Copenhagen. In the three previous matches in the cups, they have not beaten her and moreover they have not scored against her; in addition to the 0:0 draw from last week, the teams met in the group stage of the Europa League in the 2009/10 season, when Copenhagen won 1:0 at home and 3:0 at Letná.

“It's 50 to 50. Of course, I hope that we will tilt a few percent to our side thanks to the fans at Letné, who will hopefully give the players a little courage and self-confidence. Otherwise, it's balanced. Copenhagen regularly plays in the group of European cups, last season they got into Champions League,” said Sparta's Danish coach Brian Priske, who worked as an assistant in Copenhagen from 2016 to 2017.

There are three more Danes in the implementation team of Prague – assistant Lars Friis, conditioning coach Christian Clarup and chief analyst Lukas Babalola. Sparta's squad includes their compatriots goalkeeper Peter Vindahl, stopper Asger Sörensen and defender or midfielder Casper Höjer, who is injured, however.

Copenhagen has not lost in cups on the field of Czech teams three times in a row and four of the last five games. However, in the elimination double matches with Czech opponents, she was eliminated in all three cases. “It could be a different match in Prague than here, we will probably find ourselves under pressure there. But I believe one hundred percent that we can win there,” said Copenhagen coach Jacob Neestrup.

Sparta, which has not lost to Danish opponents five times in a row since defeating Copenhagen in autumn 2009, last played in the LM group in 2005/06. Since then, she has been eliminated in the qualifiers eight times. On the contrary, the team from the Danish metropolis last appeared in the “millionaire” competition last season and did not lose in 11 consecutive matches in the preliminary rounds of the cups.

The teams tuned in to the duel with victories in their respective leagues. Despite eight changes in the lineup, Sparta won 5:1 in Jablonec on Saturday and have not lost in any of the five competitive matches so far this season (of which four wins). Copenhagen defeated Odense 2:1 a day earlier and did not find a winner even in the seventh competitive match of the year (of which six victories), because unlike Sparta, they had to cope with the 2nd preliminary round of the Champions League, in which they coped with Iceland's Breidablik.

“It is important that before Tuesday's game we all have our heads up and that we are confident. Not just a few individuals, but the whole team. At the same time, we sent a message to everyone that we have a wide and quality squad, which in the long run for me more important. It's also a clear signal for the players themselves, as they can see that when they get a chance, they have to take it and perform like they did against Jablonec,” said Priske.

The winner of the doubleheader will advance to the final preliminary round of the LM, where they will face the better of the pair Raków Čenstochová – Aris Limassol. The loser will fight for the Europa League group with either AEK Athens or Dinamo Zagreb. All mentioned teams, including Sparta and Copenhagen, are assured of at least participation in the Conference League group.

Statistics before the second leg of the 3rd preliminary round of the Football League champions Sparta Prague – FC Copenhagen:

Kick-off: Tuesday 15 August, 19:00.

Referees: Gözübüyük – Zeinstra, Balder – Higler (video, all Dutch).

First match: 0:0.

Balance (club):

CR (Czechoslovakia) – Denmark 42 19-15-8 67:33.

1962/63 PMEZ: Esbjerg – Dukla Prague 0:0, 0:5,

1966/67 PMEZ: Esbjerg – Dukla Prague 0:2, 0:4,

1979/80 UEFA: Brno – Esbjerg 6:0, 1:1,

1983/84 UEFA: Ostrava – 1903 Copenhagen 5:0, 1:1,

1984/85 PMEZ: Sparta Prague – Lyngby 0:0, 2:1,

1991 /92 PVP: Odense – Ostrava 0:2, 1:2,

1995/96 PVP: Hradec Králové – FC Copenhagen 5:0, 2:2,

1995/96 UEFA: Sparta Prague – Silkeborg 0:1, 2:1,

2000 /01 UEFA: Slavia Prague – AB Copenhagen 3:0, 2:0,

2003/04 UEFA: Bröndby Copenhagen – Žižkov 1:0, 1:0,

2007/08 UEFA: Sparta Prague – Odense 0:0, 0:0, pen. 4:3,

2009/10 EL: FC Copenhagen – Sparta Prague 1:0, 3:0,

2011/12 LM: FC Copenhagen – Pilsen 1:3, 1 :2,

2015/16 EL: Jablonec – FC Copenhagen 0:1, 3:2,

2016/17 EL: Sönderjyske – Sparta Prague 0:0, 2:3 ,

2017/18 EL: Zlín – FC Copenhagen 1:1, 0:3,

2018/19 EL: FC Copenhagen – Slavia Prague 0:1, 0:0,

2020 /21 EL: Pilsen – Sönderjyske 3:0,

2020/21 LM: Slavia Praha – Midtjylland 0:0, 1:4,

2021/22 EKL: Jablonec – Randers 2:2, 2:2,

2021/22 EL: Bröndby Copenhagen – Sparta Prague 0:0, 0:2,

2023/24 LM: FC Copenhagen – Sparta Prague 0:0.

Note: The overview does not include the matches of the Trade Fair Cup and the Intertoto Cup.

Expected lineups:

Sparta: Vindahl – Vitík, A. Sörensen, Krejčí – Mejdr, Kairinen, Sadílek, Zelený – Birmančevič, Haraslín – Kuchta.

Copenhagen: Grabara – Jelert, Vavro, Diks, C. Sörensen – Goncalves, Falk , Claesson – Bardghji, Larsson, Elyounoussi.

Absence: Höjer (injury) – Amoo, Babacar, Cornelius, Chočolava (all injured).

Interesting points:

– Sparta did not win or score in the previous 3 mutual matches in the cups; in addition to last week's 0:0 draw, the teams met in the group stage of the Europa League in the 2009/10 season, when Copenhagen won 1:0 at home and 3:0 away

– Czech teams lost in cups to Danish teams the only one of the last 10 matches and they have not lost to them 5 times in a row (including 4 draws)

– Since the defeat with Copenhagen in autumn 2009, Sparta has not lost 5 times in a row against a Danish opponent in cups

– Sparta defeated the Danish opponent 2 times in a row at home in the cups

– Copenhagen won in the cups against Czech opponents in only one of the last 6 matches

– Copenhagen did not lose in the cups on the field of Czech teams 3 times in a row and in 4 of the last 5 matches

– Copenhagen was eliminated in the cups in the double elimination matches with Czech opponents in all 3 cases

– Sparta played the PMEZ/LM basic group 8 times, Copenhagen 5 times

– Sparta last appeared in the main stage of the LM in 2005/06, Copenhagen in the last season, when in a group with the later winner of the competition Manchester City, Dortmund and against the future winner of EL Sevilla, they did not win in 6 matches and finished last

– Since the last promotion to the LM group, Sparta has been eliminated in the qualification of the competition 8 times in a row

– Sparta has won only one of the last 9 matches in the cups

– Sparta has won at home in the cups in only one of the last 4 duels

– Sparta was eliminated in the preliminary rounds of the cups in 5 of the last 6 cases

– Sparta did not win in the preliminary rounds of the cups 5 times in a row and in 8 of the last 9 matches

– Copenhagen have not lost in the cups in 5 consecutive preliminary rounds and in 8 of the last 9

– Copenhagen have not lost in the preliminary rounds of the cups 11 times in a row

– Copenhagen won away from home after 5 games last time in the cups

– Sparta entered the qualification last week, Copenhagen advanced to the 3rd preliminary round over Iceland's Breidablik

– the winner advances to the final preliminary round of the LM, where will face the better of the pair Raków Czestochowa – Aris Limassol; the loser will fight for the EL group with the worse team from the double match AEK Athens – Dinamo Zagreb

– Sparta won the league in Jablonec 5:1 on Saturday and did not lose in any of the 5 competitive matches so far this season (of which 4 wins)

– Copenhagen defeated Odense 2:1 in the Danish league on Friday and did not find a winner even in the 7th competitive match of the year (including 6 wins)

– Sparta is led by a Danish coach Priske, who won the title and domestic cup with Copenhagen as an assistant in the 2016/17 season; in the implementing teams of Prague there are also his compatriots assistant Lars Friis, conditioning coach Christian Clarup and chief analyst Lukas Babalola

– Danish players Höjer, Sörensen and Vindahl are active in Sparta

– the teams are incumbents masters of their countries