The reigning champions of the Hungarian league, Ferencvarosi, host Czech Republic league winners, Slavia Prague, on Wednesday night in the Champions League third qualifying round.
Ferencvarosi began the Champions League in the first qualifying round with a 6-1 win over Kosovo’s Prishtina. The Hungarians followed up the victory with a second qualifying round victory against Lithuania’s Zalgiris 5-1.
🎥 Our #UCL path starts here.🔜 #frasla pic.twitter.com/BSOwFtFtV2— SK Slavia Prague EN 🏆🏆🏆 (@slavia_eng) August 2, 2021
🎥 Our #UCL path starts here.🔜 #frasla pic.twitter.com/BSOwFtFtV2
Manager Peter Stoger took over the club in the offseason and will hope to achieve the success of previous coach Serhiy Rebrov.
Last season, Ferencvarosi reached the Champions League group stage after claiming famous wins over Celtic, Dinamo Zagreb, and Molde in last season’s qualifying rounds.
Slavia Prague had a brilliant run in the Europa League last season, claiming famous wins of their own. The Czech club defeated Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League group stage and later, in the knockout rounds, eliminated Leicester City 2-0 on aggregate and Rangers 3-1 over two legs.
The Red and Whites will aim to take their form from last season’s Europa League over to this year’s Champions League qualifying rounds. Manager Jindřich Trpišovský has a capable squad that could make the group stage.
The winner of the two-legged tie between Ferencvarosi and Slavia Prague will play either Romania’s Cluj or Swiss champions Young Boys. It won’t be an easy road to the Champions League group stage.
Slavia Prague have already started the Czech domestic campaign. They claimed a 1-0 win over Fastav Zlin 1-0 and Teplice 3-1. Slavia Prague will take a step up in quality versus Ferencvarosi, however.
Stoger’s Ferencvarosi are 32-time Hungarian champions. Despite their success over the years, Ferencvarosi did not start the new league season well.
They lost 2-1 on opening day to Kisvarda. Ferencvarosi’s focus is likely on the lucrative Champions League.
Ferencvarosi coach Stoger has altered the team’s formation from game to game this term. He has altered between a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 formation.
When playing a 4-3-3 attacking formation, Ferencvarosi have scored 3.0 goals in two matches. Both games came in the Champions League.
At the weekend, in the loss versus Kisarda, Stoger played a 4-2-3-1 as the team lost 2-1. Ferencvarosi players Ryan Mmaee and Myrto Uzuni have already scored a combined eight goals in all competitions.
Trpišovský has used a 4-1-4-1 formation in both league matches this term. Slavia Prague are entering the Champions League at the third qualifying round.
Their play last season in the Europa League makes them a difficult side to defeat and favourite to win on Wednesday.
Four of five Ferencvarosi matches this season finished with over 2.5 goals scored and three of five saw both teams score.
We should see goals on Wednesday with both sides getting on the scoresheet and Slavia Prague getting a win in the Champions League third qualifying round first leg.