Copenhagen vs Sparta Prague

Parken Stadium forms the backdrop for the first leg of Copenhagen’s exciting Champions League third-round qualifying tie against Sparta Prague.

Seeking their second consecutive Champions League group stage qualification, Copenhagen, the only Danish side to reach Europe’s most prestigious competition, come into proceedings amid a flawless 2023/24 season start. Jacob Neestrup’s men have been nothing short of outstanding at the beginning of the new campaign, winning all five competitive games, including home and away triumphs over Iceland’s Breidablik in the previous Champions League qualifying round via an aggregate score of 8-3. Bringing the tail-end of the 2022/23 season into the equation, the Danish heavyweights are unbeaten in their last five outings at Parken Stadium (W4, D1), notably netting 4+ goals in each victory. It’s also worth noting they haven’t lost a European tie on home turf since 2021/22 (W2, D3), drawing against non-other than Manchester City, Borussia Dortmund, and Sevilla.

On the other hand, Sparta Prague’s bid to advance into the Champions League group stages for the first time since 2005/06 comes off the back of a first Czech First League crown since 2013/14. Sparta’s domestic title defense has been off to a perfect start as they’ve won all three opening 2023/24 league matches, including an overwhelming 5-2 home triumph over Pardubice at the weekend. However, this won’t be a walk in the park by any stretch of the imagination, with Sparta losing both their previous meetings with Copenhagen by a combined score of 4-0. On a more positive note, the ‘Maroons’ have drawn their last two European games on Danish soil, most recently holding Copenhagen’s arch-rivals Brondby to a scoreless stalemate two years ago.