Tuesday 29/07/2014, 19:30, Champions League Qualifiers, Sparta Praga vs Malmo

Sparta Praga vs Malmo Preview

Sparta Praga and Malmo are both in great form and have won many games in a row, but the former are by far the more experienced formation. The Swedish side is young and ambitious, but its players are yet to compete in a major European competition, with the pressure of this fixture being downright crushing. A draw on the road is what they will be looking for tonight, hoping to score the decisive goals in Sweden.

Sparta Praga vs Malmo Odds

At Bet365

Sparta Praga 1.44, Draw 4.30, Malmo 7.00

Sparta Praga vs Malmo Tips

Sparta Praga is used to playing Champions League Qualifiers and they have a decently good percentage at surviving these tests rounds. Even though it's been a while since they played in the group stage and even longer since they last made the elimination rounds, the Czechs have the squad to do it.

Winning on the road is not that easy for Sparta Praga, but it would be a mistake to underestimate them away from home just because they failed to win in Tallinn. Punters should keep in mind the fact that they won the first leg by a crushing 7-0 and decided to field a team featuring mostly reserves and promising players in the second leg. The 1-1 draw was a decent result given the circumstances, but coach Lavicka is going to return to that starting formation that won the home match by a wide margin.

The hosts have an interesting mix of young and experienced strikers, with Lafata being the only one certain to play tonight. The 32-year-old is guaranteed to be on the pitch, after scoring five times against the Estonian side and he followed that through with another goal in the championship match against Plzen

Malmo took a decisive lead over fellow Swedish teams and now has eight points ahead, after just 16 rounds, which makes them certain favorites to win the trophy. They also advanced to the stage at the expense of a Baltic team, even though they did it by a narrow margin as a result of scoring on the road.

Key Facts

• Malmo is yet to lose a match in 12 rounds, but they drew twice in the last four matches.
• Sparta Praga won 8/9 recent games and have scored a bundle of goals in all competitions.

Sparta Praga vs Malmo Prediction

There is no value in backing the hosts to win tonight, but there are plenty of reasons to bet on more than 2.5 goals to be scored. The visitors have a decent defense but are unlikely to hold against a team that is clearly on offensive prowess. On the other hand, it would be a mistake to dismiss Malmo simply because they play away from home, since they scored at least once in the last 13 games.

Bet: Over 2.5 goals @ 2.05 with Bet365