The Europa Conference League second qualifying round kicks off this week and Czech First League club Sparta Praha will host Norwegian Eliteserien club Viking FK on Thursday.
Sparta Praha finished third in the Czech First League in 2021-22 to qualify for the Europa Conference League qualifiers. The Czech club has not started its 2022-23 season and go into Thursday night’s first leg having played five friendlies in the build-up to the match.
🤝 If we qualify to the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League we will play against winner of the duel Motherwell 🏴 / Sligo Rovers 🇮🇪. #acsparta pic.twitter.com/lvDu2TRnQJ— AC Sparta Prague (@ACSparta_EN) July 18, 2022
🤝 If we qualify to the 3rd qualifying round of the UEFA Europa Conference League we will play against winner of the duel Motherwell 🏴 / Sligo Rovers 🇮🇪. #acsparta pic.twitter.com/lvDu2TRnQJ
The Prague-based club defeated Dukla, Opava, Rijeka, and drew with Paksi FC. Sparta Praha’s only defeat during preseason has come against Austria’s Wolfsberg 1-0 on July 9.
While Sparta Praha have not started their season, Viking FK are in the middle of their Eliteserien campaign for 2022. The Norwegian top flight is played during Europe’s summer months, unlike the Czech First League.
Viking are currently third in the Eliteserien and battling for a league title. Five points separate Viking from top of the table Molde on the domestic front. Viking will have the upper hand in fitness and form heading into the first leg, but Sparta Praha have the overall stronger squad.
Veton Berisha leads Viking in goals with eight in 12 league matches. Managers Bjarte Lunde Aarsheim
Morten Jensen will hope the striker can get onto the scoresheet to lead Viking to an away win. Fellow Norwegian Sebastian Sebulonsen has tallied four goals for the Vikings.
Sparta Praha have made several additions to the squad this offseason and each of those new players will be salivating for a cup match start versus Viking.
The most exciting addition to the Prague team’s squad is Jan Kuchta, who arrived from Lokomotiv Moscow. The centre-forward previously played for Sparta’s rival, Slavia Prague. He scored 32 goals and assisted 33 in 66 games.
Manager Brian Priske begins his first season at Sparta on Thursday after joining the club from Belgium’s Royal Antwerp. Priske will hope fellow new signing Lukas Haraslin can set up the goals for Kuchta. Haraslin arrived from Sassuolo for £1.35 million and will occupy the left wing.
Expect Viking to play a 3-5-2 formation as they aim to slow down the home side in the middle of the park. Viking’s manager duo should play a strong squad from the start with hope of being the next Bodo/Glimt after they reached the semifinals last season.
However, the far stronger Sparta Praha will take the spoils in the first leg at home. Kuchta could get the all-important goal as Sparta win 1-0.