Swedish champions Malmo take on their Czech Republic counterparts Sparta Prague at Eleda Stadion for the first leg of their Champions League playoff clash on Wednesday night.
The winner of this two-legged playoff will qualify for the newly expanded 36-team Champions League group stage, while the loser will be relegated to the Europa League.
After missing out on European competition last season (finishing 7th in 2022), the Sky Blues are eager to reach the Champions League group stage for the fourth time in their history and the first time since the 2021-22 campaign. The reigning Allsvenskan champions, who celebrated their 23rd league title last season, have had a challenging path to this stage. They narrowly advanced through the second and third qualifying rounds, overcoming KI Klaksvik and PAOK after tightly contested matches.
In the second Round, Malmo defeated KÍ Klaksvik of the Faroe Islands 6-4 on aggregate. They then faced Greek champions PAOK in a dramatic third-round qualifier, which required extra time to decide. A 96th-minute equalizer from Nils Zatterstrom in the second leg in Thessaloniki forced the match into extra time, where Anders Christiansen's goal secured a 6-5 aggregate victory.
Henrik Rydstrom's side recently bolstered their domestic title hopes with a come-from-behind 2-1 victory over Norrköping, maintaining their nine-point lead at the top of the Allsvenskan with 11 games remaining. However, their focus now shifts back to the Champions League as they prepare to face Sparta Prague, having won 10 of their last 13 home matches in all competitions.
After his match-winner against PAOK last week, captain Anders Christiansen inspired Malmo's comeback win over Norrkoping at the weekend. However, the 34-year-old Danish midfielder may have to settle for a place on the bench against Sparta Prague, having been introduced as a second-half substitute in both legs against PAOK.
Due to injuries, Malmo will be without Finnish veteran Niklas Moisander, right-back Anton Tinnerholm, and winger Stefano Vecchia. However, Sebastian Nanasi, who scored twice in the second-leg victory over PAOK, recovered from illness to make a substitute appearance against Norrkoping and could be in contention to start.
Isaac Kiese Thelin and Erik Botheim, who have combined for 28 goals in the 2024 season, are also pushing for starting spots up front.
The reigning Czech First League champions enter this playoff in excellent form. They began the season unbeaten in nine matches across all competitions, with eight wins and 22 goals to their name. Sparta Prague reached the Champions League playoffs with a dominant 6-2 aggregate victory over Shamrock Rovers of Ireland in the second qualifying round, followed by a closely contested 4-3 aggregate win against FCSB of Romania in the third Round.
In the second leg against FCSB, Sparta surged to a 3-0 lead with goals from star performers Veljko Birmancevic and Lukas Haraslín. Despite a late fightback from the Romanian champions, who scored twice in the second half to create a nervy finish, Iron Sparta held firm to secure their place in this playoff showdown with Malmö.
Lars Friis's side continued their domestic dominance with a 2-1 win over Jablonec last Saturday, maintaining their perfect record in the Czech top flight and leading the table by two points. Sparta Prague aims to qualify for the Champions League group stage for the ninth time in its history, a feat it has yet to achieve since the 2005-06 season. Last season, it competed in the Europa League but was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Liverpool, with an 11-2 aggregate score.
Summer signing Imanol Garcia de Albeniz remains doubtful after missing the last two matches with an injury, so Matej Rynes or Tomas Wiesner are expected to start at left wing-back. Veljko Birman?evi?, in fine form with four goals and two assists in his last five matches, is likely to return to the starting lineup alongside Lukas Haraslín and Victor Olatunji in the front three.
Malmo FF: Johan Dahlin - Jens Stryger Larsen, Pontus Jansson, Nils Z™tterström, Gabriel Busanello - Soren Rieks, Sergio Pena, Lasse Berg Johnsen, Sebastian Nanasi - Erik Botheim, Isaac Kiese Thelin. (4-4-2)
Sparta Prague: Peter Vindahl Jensen - Martin Vitík, Asger Sorensen, Jaroslav Zeleny - Angelo Preciado, Qazim Laci, Kaan Kairinen, Matej Rynes - Veljko Birmancevic, Victor Olatunji, Lukás Haraslín. (3-4-3)
Sparta Prague may not have fond memories of their last visit to Malmo, where they suffered a 2-0 defeat in the 2014-15 Champions League third qualifying round, leading to their exit on away goals - the first leg in Prague ended 4-2.
However, their current form in Champions League qualifying away matches is more promising, with a three-match unbeaten run (2-1-0). Notably, the half-time result mirrored the final score in each game, highlighting the importance of a strong start.
Last season, Sparta's Champions League hopes ended on the other side of the Oresund Bridge - in Copenhagen - as they suffered a penalty shootout defeat to FC Copenhagen in the third qualifying round.
On the other hand, Malmo's overall record against Czech clubs has been less than stellar, with just one win and three defeats. Yet, with a balanced head-to-head record against their current opponents, another closely-fought encounter seems likely. Malmo's high-scoring Champions League further supports this expectation ties this term, which has produced 21 goals - nine of them in home matches.
Both sides will be looking to secure a good result before the decisive second leg next week. However, considering Sparta Prague's impressive form at the start of the new campaign, the Czechs may have the edge and could leave Sweden with a favorable result.
