Champions League Matchday 8: Pafos vs Slavia Praha facts

Pafos welcome eliminated Slavia Praha to Cyprus on Matchday 8 needing a win to have any hope of extending their debut UEFA Champions League campaign into the knockout round.

While the Czech club lie 34th in the standings on three points, Pafos are 30th on six – although they have lost their last two matches.

Last match

This is the clubs' first fixture and Pafos' first against Czech opposition.

This is also the first time clubs from Cyprus and Czechia have faced each other in the Champions League proper.

Slavia's only previous meeting with Cypriot opposition came in the 2017/18 qualifying play offs, where they lost to APOEL after a 2-0 first-leg defeat in Nicosia and a 0-0 draw in Prague.

Pafos

Pafos are in the Champions League for the first time. They took part in UEFA competition for the first time in 2024/25, losing to Elfsborg in the UEFA Europa League first qualifying round but going on to reach the UEFA Conference League round of 16.

Pafos were crowned Cypriot champions for the first time in 2024/25 and are the third team from Cyprus to reach the Champions League proper after APOEL (four times) and Anorthosis Famagusta (once) and the first since APOEL in 2017/18.

Coach Juan Carlos Carcedo departed for Spartak Moskva on 5 January; Albert Celades succeeded him four days later.

Slavia Praha 

This is Slavia's third campaign in the Champions League proper; they were eliminated in the group stage in 2007/08 and 2019/20.

The Czech club are taking part in a UEFA group stage/league phase for the ninth successive season.

In 2024/25 Slavia lost 2-3 on aggregate to LOSC Lille in the Champions League qualifying play-offs, going on to finish 30th in the league phase of the Europa League (W1 D2 L5).

Key stats

A 1-0 loss at Chelsea on Matchday 7 was only Pafos' third in 13 Champions League matches this season (W5 D5) – although a second in succession.

Overall Pafos have lost only four of their last 19 European fixtures (W8 D7) – although they have won only one of the last eight (D4 L3).

Pafos have lost only one of their last ten home European matches (W6 D3).

Slavia's winless European run was extended to 14 games (D5 L9) by a 2-4 home defeat against Barcelona on Matchday 7.

That did, however, end a run of five successive Champions League games without a goal.

Slavia have not won in the Champions League proper since a 2-1 home victory against Steaua Bucureşti on Matchday 1 of their debut campaign in September 2007, a run of 18 matches (D7 L11).