FCSB vs Sparta Prague

A place in the Champions League qualifying playoff round is at stake as FCSB and Sparta Prague go head-to-head at the Stadionul Steaua.

FCSB needed a late VAR call to avoid defeat in Prague last week, holding Sparta to a 1-1 draw to keep their unbeaten H2H record intact (W2, D3) and bolster their hopes of reaching the new-look league phase. After an identical first-leg result in their second qualifying round tie against Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Romanian giants claimed a narrow 1-0 win to set up this showdown and will seek a repeat in Bucharest. The impending return to the Romanian capital increases the home team’s chances of reaching the playoff round, considering they’ve netted twice in both previous H2H meetings at this stadium (W1, D1), including a 2-0 at this qualifying stage in 2016. Elias Charalambous’ side got the better of Farul Constanta 3-2 at the weekend, strengthening their decent competitive record in 2024/25 (W5, D4, L1).

On the other hand, Sparta Prague’s first-leg showing failed to live up to the billing. But they returned to winning ways at the weekend with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory against Bohemians, maintaining a perfect start to their Czech First League title defense. Lars Friis’ troops have won all four league matches this term. Moreover, they’ve got on the scoresheet eight times across their three competitive road trips in 2023/24 (W3), bolstering their ambition to win this tie. However, Sparta’s form on continental travels is far from impressive. A 2-0 win against Shamrock Rovers in July marked their first Champions League away win since August 2010 (D3, L5).