Sparta Praha vs Salzburg facts

Sparta Praha's first game in the UEFA Champions League proper in 19 years pits them against Salzburg, who have become regulars in the competition in recent seasons.

The Czech club have not featured beyond the qualifying rounds since 2005/06 but have now come through three ties this season to earn a place in the new league phase.

Salzburg are also no strangers to qualifying disappointments although this is their sixth successive Champions League appearance – only one of which has extended into the knockout stages.

Previous meetings

1997/98 UEFA Champions League second qualifying round
Salzburg 0-0 Sparta Praha
Sparta Praha 3-0 Salzburg
Sparta reached the 1997/98 Champions League group stage at Salzburg's expense in what was the only previous tie between the teams.

After a goalless first leg in Austria, Sparta were 3-0 winners in Prague to qualify for the group stage for the first time.

Form guide

Sparta

Record vs Austrian clubs: P9 W4 D4 L1 F14 A7
Home record vs Austrian clubs: W2 D2 L0

The most recent of Sparta's nine games against Austrian opponents came in the 2021/22 Champions League second qualifying round, a 3-2 aggregate win against Rapid Wien (1-2 a, 2-0 h).

That second-leg victory in Prague extended Sparta's unbeaten record against Austrian visitors to four games, with eight goals scored and three conceded.

The defeat at Rapid is Sparta's only loss in their nine games with teams from Austria.

Sparta featured in the Champions League group stage seven times, one more than all the other Czech clubs combined – although their last appearance came in 2005/06, the seventh time in nine seasons they had made it that far.

The Prague club subsequently lost nine times in qualifying – including in 2023/24, when they were eliminated on penalties by Copenhagen in the third qualifying round (0-0 a, 3-3 h aet, 2-4 pens).

Sparta therefore moved into the Europa League and finished second in their section behind Rangers before eliminating Galatasaray in the knockout round play-offs (2-3 a, 4-1 h) only for Liverpool to prove too strong in the last 16 (1-5 h, 1-6 a).

Rudí started this season in the Champions League second qualifying round, beating Shamrock Rovers of the Republic of Ireland (2-0 a, 4-2 h) before getting the better of Romania's FCSB (1-1 h, 3-2 a) having led 3-0 after 37 minutes of the second leg. Sparta sealed their return to the competition proper after 19 seasons by beating Malmö 2-0 both away and at home in the play-offs.

Last season's loss to Liverpool is Sparta's only defeat in their last 11 home European matches (W6 D4).

Lars Friis succeeded the Feyenoord-bound Brian Priske as Sparta coach in June.

Priske had taken Sparta to their second successive league title, and 38th overall, in 2023/24 – the first time they had won successive championships since 2001. Sparta also claimed the Czech Cup last season for a 16th time, completing a sixth domestic double.

Salzburg

Record vs Czech clubs: P2 W0 D1 L1 F0 A3
Away record vs Czech clubs: W0 D0 L1

That 1997 tie against Sparta is Salzburg's only previous experience of facing Czech opponents.

Having not featured in the Champions League group stage between 1994 and 2019, Salzburg are making their sixth successive appearance in the competition proper.

The Austrian side were fourth in Group D in 2023/24, picking up four points from six games (W1 D1 L4) in a section that also included Real Sociedad, Inter Milan and Benfica.

A 2-0 victory at Benfica on Matchday 1 last season is one of only four Salzburg wins in 19 away matches in the Champions League, group stage to final (D6 L9) and the only one in ten games (D4 L5), since a 3-1 success at Lokomotiv Moskva on Matchday 5 in 2020/21.

Salzburg started this season's Champions League campaign in the third qualifying round, beating Dutch side Twente 2-1 at home before a 3-3 away draw to progress 5-4 on aggregate. They then overcame Dynamo Kyiv in the play-offs, winning 3-1 over two legs (2-0 a, 1-1 h).

The win at Dynamo was only Salzburg's second victory in their last 13 European away games (D5 L6).

Having qualified automatically for the 2019/20 group stage, a 5-2 aggregate win against Maccabi Tel-Aviv in the 2020/21 play-offs (2-1 a, 3-1 h) ended a run of 13 successive eliminations in Champions League qualifying since Salzburg's first group stage appearance in 1994/95.

Salzburg, who appointed Pep Lijnders as head coach in May, had their run of ten successive Austrian Bundesliga titles ended by Sturm Graz in 2023/24, finishing two points behind.

Links and trivia

Sparta defender Asger Sørensen was a Salzburg player between 2014 and 2019, although he made only three Austrian Bundesliga appearances and featured only six times in all competitions.

Sørensen did make 41 appearances for Liefering in the Austrian 2. Liga while on loan from Salzburg.

Sparta defender Mathias Ross and Salzburg pair Maurits Kjærgaard and Mads Bidstrup played together for Denmark's Under-21 side.

Latest news

Sparta

Sparta were without a game at the weekend as the entire Czech league programme was postponed due to the threat of flooding caused by heavy rainfall.

The Czech champions have won six of their seven league games in 2024/25, the exception a 2-2 draw at home to Slovácko on 24 August.

That has made it 18 league games unbeaten for Sparta (W14 D4), since a 4-0 loss at Viktoria Plzeň on 10 March.

Sparta are also the top scorers in the Czech top flight this season with 16 goals.

Veljko Birmančević and Lukás Haraslín have both scored three league goals this season.

Birmančević has six goals in all competitions, one more than Haraslín.

Sparta are unbeaten in all competitions since the 6-1 loss at Liverpool in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg on 14 March; their record since is W21 D5.

The Prague club have kept three clean sheets in their last four games.

Albion Rrahmani scored his first international goal on his seventh appearance as Kosovo won 4-0 in Cyprus in the UEFA Nations League on 9 September.

Matěj Ryneš made his Czechia debut in a 4-1 defeat in Georgia on 7 September, although he was taken off injured midway through the first half.

Summer signing Imanol García has not been included in Sparta's Champions League squad after suffering a knee injury on his debut, a 2-1 win at Bohemians Praha on 10 August.

Salzburg

Like Sparta, Salzburg were also without a game at the weekend as their fixture at home to Klagenfurt was postponed after heavy rain made the pitch unplayable.

Salzburg's unbeaten start to the season was ended by a 3-2 loss at Rapid Wien on 1 September.

Their record in all competitions prior to that defeat was W6 D2.

Pep Lijnders' side had won their first three Austrian Bundesliga games of 2024/25, scoring nine goals while conceding only three.

Maurits Kjærgaard was taken off against Rapid with a ligament injury to his left ankle that is expected to keep him on the sidelines for up to eight weeks.

Daouda Guindo (foot) and summer signing Takumu Kawamura (knee) are yet to play this season.

Karim Konaté has not played since 2 August due to a knee injury.

Leandro Morgalla has also been out since August with a hamstring problem.

On Saturday Salzburg had announced they had reached an agreement with centre-back Oumar Solet to end his contract, which had been due to expire next summer.