Monaco hold a first leg advantage as they welcome Sparta Prague to the Stade Louis II for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League third round qualifier. The Czechs are set to improve on their performance from the first fixture but Monaco are still expected to have the edge at home.
Monaco were in fine form in the first leg as goals in each half from Aurelien Tchouameni and Kevin Volland gave them a 2-0 victory. They failed to replicate that performance in their French Ligue 1 opener on Saturday after being held 1-1 at home by Nantes.
Despite the disappointment in their opening fixture in Ligue 1, Monaco will still head into Tuesday’s clash as favourites. They have suffered just one defeat in their last eight matches stretching back to last season.
Monaco kept a clean sheet in the first leg against Sparta Prague but rode their luck a few times as their defence has looked vulnerable lately. Nico Kovac's men have also conceded in five of their last seven matches across all competitions.
Sparta Prague will be disappointed not to have found the net at least once at home in the first leg. They created a number of goalscoring opportunities but were wasteful in front of goal.
Manager Pavel Vrba will be keen for a better performance in Monaco as his team head into Tuesday’s clash with a 2-0 victory over Karvina in a Czech Liga fixture. They are the dominant team in the Czech Liga but often struggle to replicate that form in Europe.
Sparta Prague have suffered three defeats in their last four matches in the Champions League. They were also beaten 2-1 by Rapid Vienna in their previous away fixture in the competition.
How the bookies view it
Monaco are considered overwhelming favourites among the bookies with a home win priced at 1/2 by Sporting Index. Sparta Prague are valued at 36/5 by Vbet for an unlikely win while a draw is set at odds of 18/5 by BetVictor.
Given Sparta Prague’s poor record in the Champions League, I am leaning towards a victory for Monaco.
Head to head
Last week’s fixture was the first ever meeting between Monaco and Sparta Prague.
Players to watch
Kevin Volland was on target in the first leg as Monaco produced over 1.5 goals. With strike partner Wissam Ben Yedder expected to also feature on Tuesday, the French side are likely to produce a similar outcome at 8/15 with bet365.
Adam Hlozek continues to impress for Sparta Prague and has scored in two of his last three matches. The Czech team has scored in 17 of their last 18 matches across all competitions and with Monaco often unconvincing at the back, the striker can ensure they find the net at 4/6 with Vbet.
Anything else catch the eye?
There have been goals for both sides in three of Monaco’s last four matches and a similar outcome is priced at 10/11 with MansionBet. Over 2.5 goals could also be worth a punt at 7/10 with bet365 while over 3.5 goals is set at 13/8 with the same firm.
Monaco are likely to earn a win and over 2.5 goals at 6/5 with bet365. Having scored in both halves in the first leg, they could also be backed for a repeat at 5/4 with bet365.
This UEFA Champions League match between Monaco and Sparta Prague will be played on Aug 10, 2021 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Monaco vs Sparta Prague prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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