Sparta Prague vs Lillestrom - prediction, team news, lineups

Red-hot Sparta Prague look to physique connected their triumph from the opening matchday of the Europa League league signifier arsenic they invited Lillestrom to epet ARENA connected Thursday.

The Czech hosts secured a 4-1 triumph astatine Ararat-Armenia connected matchday one, whereas the Norwegian visitors suffered a 2-1 location decision to Torreense successful their opening fixture of the league phase.

Match preview

Sparta's hopes of reaching the Champions League main signifier for the 2nd clip successful 3 seasons were chopped abbreviated by a 3-0 decision to Lyon, with that setback successful the 3rd qualifying circular instrumentality limb forming portion of a shaky tally that saw the Maroons suffer 4 of their six matches betwixt August 8 and September 6.

However, Brian Priske's broadside person enjoyed an upturn successful signifier since then, winning each of their past 5 competitory games, including their emphatic triumph astatine Ararat-Armenia, wherever defender Tobias Guddal scored a first-half brace, with John Mercado and Patrik Vydra besides uncovering the nett aft the interval.

Sparta's awesome tally has been fuelled by their accelerated starts, having opened the scoring and carried the pb into halftime successful each of those 5 outings, portion besides netting aggregate goals successful each 1 of those games and keeping cleanable sheets successful four.

The astir caller effect successful what has been an explosive tally was a 2-0 triumph implicit Pardubice astatine the weekend, courtesy of strikes from Mercado and Jaroslav Zeleny either broadside of fractional time, leaving the Prague-based nine 3rd successful the Czech First Division table.

Back connected the continental signifier this midweek, Sparta tin gully further assurance from their location record, having won 5 of their past six competitory matches astatine epet ARENA, scoring 13 goals and conceding six during that period.

Competing successful the main signifier of a continental contention for the archetypal clip since their UEFA Cup second-round exit successful 2000-01, Lillestrom's long-awaited instrumentality was greeted with disappointment aft they suffered a location decision to Torreense, who vie successful Portugal's 2nd tier.

The Canaries were undone by a dilatory commencement aft conceding doubly wrong 50 minutes, leaving Thomas Olsen's effort successful the 79th infinitesimal arsenic small much than a consolation, arsenic Hans Erik Odegaard's broadside failed to marque the astir of their precocious numerical vantage aft Nuha Jatta's 85th-minute dismissal.  

That decision comes amid a caller tally of mixed results for Lillestrom, whose lone triumph successful their past 4 outings was a 5-1 triumph implicit third-tier broadside Baerum Sportsklubb successful the Norwegian Cup, with the spell besides featuring a 2-2 gully against Molde implicit the play that near Fugla sixth successful the Eliteserien table.

Having travel from down doubly to rescue a constituent successful that home brushwood past clip out, the Canaries should instrumentality immoderate encouragement into Thursday's travel and tin besides gully inspiration from losing conscionable 1 of their past six distant fixtures crossed each competitions, winning 3 during that spell.

Sparta Prague Europa League form:

Sparta Prague signifier (all competitions):

Lillestrom Europa League form:

Lillestrom signifier (all competitions):

Team News

Sparta are dealing with a lengthy wounded list, including semipermanent absentees Magnus Kofod Andersen, Ondrej Penxa, Jakub Martinec, Elias Cobbaut and Emmanuel Uchenna, who are continuing their recoveries.

Adam Karabec missed the play brushwood owed to an ankle occupation sustained connected planetary duty, portion Matej Rynes and Josimar Alcocer are doubtful aft besides being unavailable implicit the weekend.

Meanwhile, Adam Sevinsky is backmost successful contention connected the continental signifier aft missing the matchday-one enactment successful Yerevan owed to suspension.

As for Lillestrom, centre-back Espen Garnas (knee) and winger Camil Jebara (groin) stay sidelined for this encounter, portion Linus Alperud (thigh) remains a doubt.

We could spot the antiaircraft quartet of Lars Ranger, Sander Foss, Ruben Gabrielsen and Frederik Elkaer shield goalkeeper Pontus Dahlberg, portion Thomas Olsen should pb the enactment aft uncovering the nett successful the erstwhile continental outing.

Sparta Prague imaginable starting lineup:

Ramaj; Beijmo, Sorensen, Markgraf, Lopez; Delaney, Clem; Kral, Elyounoussi, Robert; Cornelius

Lillestrom imaginable starting lineup:

Dahlberg; Ranger, Foss, Gabrielsen, Elkaer; Ottosson; Bassi, Nyheim, Kitolano, Felix Va; Olsen

We say: Sparta Prague 2-0 Lillestrom

This brushwood pits 2 teams successful contrasting signifier against each other, with Sparta enjoying an awesome tally portion Lillestrom are experiencing a stuttering spell.

We expect the in-form hosts to assertion maximum points, further buoyed by their caller location grounds and their quality to marque accelerated starts, which could beryllium decisive against a visiting broadside that struggled to retrieve from an aboriginal shortage successful their opening league-phase fixture.

For information investigation of the astir apt results, scorelines and much for this lucifer delight click here.