AC Sparta Prague have qualified for the group stage of the Champions League after a 19-year absence. On Tuesday evening, the Prague side defeated Swedish club Malmö FF 2-0 at home, having already won the first leg in Sweden by the same scoreline. This marks the ninth time Sparta Prague have competed in Europe’s prestigious top-flight football competition.
Sparta Prague successfully navigated all three qualifying rounds of the Champions League this year. Prior to defeating Malmö, they overcame Shamrock Rovers of Ireland and Romanian club FCSB. The club will receive a bonus of 18.62 million euros (nearly 466 million crowns) for reaching the group stage. After a two-year hiatus, the Czech Republic will once again be represented in the Champions League. The last Czech team to do so was Viktoria Plzeň, who also qualified for the competition via three qualifying rounds. Sparta’s city rivals, Slavia Prague, could also advance to the group stage on Wednesday but must overturn a 2-0 first-leg deficit against Lille to do so.
Sparta v Lize mistrů. 🏆#acsparta | #UCL pic.twitter.com/mtlSyMNRP7
— AC Sparta Praha (@ACSparta_CZ) August 27, 2024
From this season, the Champions League will feature a new league system with 36 teams. Sparta Prague’s opponents will be determined on Thursday in Monaco. Coach Lars Friis’ team will play a total of eight games in the group stage—four at home and four away—facing each opponent only once.
Sparta Prague have enjoyed an impressive run so far this season: The team remains unbeaten in twelve competitive matches, celebrating ten victories and scoring at least two goals in eleven games. For Malmö, on the other hand, this was their third defeat on Czech soil in the European Cup.
Coach Lars Friis was satisfied after the game: “It was a good game; we had it under control. You could ask yourself what would have happened if Malmö had converted the penalty… But they didn’t manage it. Little things worked in our favour, and I don’t think that was a coincidence but rather the result of hard work.”
Sparta Prague: Vindahl – Vitík, Panák, Sørensen – Wiesner (69. Preciado), Kairinen, Laci, Ryneš – Birmančević, Olatunji(69. Rrahmani), Haraslín (88. Krasniqi).
Malmö: Dahlin –Zätterström, Jansson, Rösler (73. Bolin) – Busanello, Johnsen (87. Loukili), Pena, Stryger Larsen – Christiansen (73. Ali),Kiese Thelin, Rieks (59. Botheim).
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Final score: Sparta Prag – Malmö FF 2:0 (0:0)
Goals: 80. Haraslín (pen.), 83. Rrahmani.
Spectators: 18.215 at the stadium Letná
