THE third round of Champions League qualifying has thrown up some intriguing ties and Sparta Prague's clash with FCSB has the potential to be a tight one.
The Romanian side, rulers of Europe in 1986 under their former guise of Steaua Bucharest, are looking to reach the group stage of the Champions League for the first time in 11 years.
And they will take heart from the way they battled past Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv in the last round, scoring a last-gap winner in the “away” leg in Hungary after a 1-1 draw in Bucharest.
Sparta Prague's exile from the top table has lasted even longer than Steaua's, with the Czech giants not playing in the group stage since way back in season 2005/2006.
But they've been regulars in the Europa League and have plenty of experience at this level, making them dangerous opponents for FCSB.
Sparta will also be encouraged by Steaua's poor start to the domestic season, with Romanian champions languishing in the bottom half after taking just two points from their first three games.
How the bookies view it: Sparta Prague in the box seat
Sparta Prague have been strong at home in Europe and the bookies can't see them slipping up here, with Betfred making the Czechs 8/15 hot favourites. FCSB are 9/2 outsiders and even the draw is pretty hefty at 3/1.
Head to head: Romanians hold the upper hand
FCSB can take heart from the fact they are unbeaten in their four meetings with Sparta Prague, winning two and drawing the other two.
Both previous ties came in Europe's premier competition with a 7-2 aggregate win in the 1988 European Cup followed by a 3-1 aggregate triumph in Champions League qualifying eight years ago.
Players to watch: To the Victor the spoils
Victor Olatunji has made a good start to the season for Sparta Prague, with three goals in his first five outings. The Nigerian forward could offer some value for a goal when the anytime scorer market is priced up.
David Miculescu is another player on three goals for the new campaign, with all those goals coming in FCSB's first qualifying round ties against Virtus. The Romanian will be hoping to score what could be a huge goal for his side in Prague.
Probable teams
Marius Stefanescu and Alexandru Baluta were subbed at half-time in FCSB's last outing against Maccabi Tel Aviv so they might be sweating on their places. Sparta Prague should be along similar lines to their last Euro outing, although Slovakian international forward Lukas Haraslin could be brought back in from the start.
Sparta Prague: Vindahl, Ross, Zeleny, Vitik, Garcia de Albeniz, Solbakken, Laci, Wiesner, Kuchta, Haraslin, Olatunji.
FCSB: Tarnovanu, Cretu, Dawa, Ngezana, Radunovic, Sut, Stefanescu, Lixandru, Baluta, Olaru, Miculescu.
Anything else catch the eye?
FCSB will probably set up to frustrate and it could be a night where Sparta Prague need to show some patience. Backing most goals to come after the break could be a smart move at 21/20 with Betfred.
The Romanians had five players booked in their last Euro outing in a game that saw seven yellows in total. This tie has the potential to boil over too but I've yet to see any card bets available.
First legs can often be cagey so betting against BTTS appeals at 5/6 while under 2.5 goals is a little better at 10/11.
This UEFA Champions League match between Sparta Prague and FCSB will be played on Aug 6, 2024 and kick off at 19:00. Check below for our tipsters best Sparta Prague vs FCSB prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
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