The Sparta Prague vs. Opava match will be played on Saturday, July 21, at the Generali Arena, Prague. This is the first round match of the Czech first league. In the previous season, Sparta Prague finished 5th with 55 points, while Opava was first in the Czech second league with five points advantage over their nearest competitor.

STATS

• Sparta Prague played seven friendly matches during the summer break. They won only twice, recorded three defeats and two draws. Those defeats came against Budejovice, Zaglebie and Celtic.
• Opava also played seven friendly matches during the summer, but they were more successful than Sparta. They won four and lost three games, but they played against significantly weaker opponents.

HEAD TO HEAD

In their previous ten meetings, Sparta recorded eight victories, Opava had only one win, while one match ended in a draw. Their last match was played in 2005 when Opava was relegated from the Czech top tier, and they failed to return for 13 years.

SPARTA PRAGUE NEWS

Sparta Prague is one of the biggest Czech clubs and they always have the highest ambitions at the start of the season. Last season they finished 5th, which was regarded as a huge failure. Andrea Stramaccioni was sacked in March, despite spending big on new, mostly foreign players. Sparta improved slightly under new manager Pavel Hapal, but they didn't fulfill their goals at the end of the season. Hapal will be under immense pressure to at least fight for the title in the upcoming season, and they must start the season with the victory against Opava.

Latest matches: Sparta Prague

06.07.2018	Club	SK Dynamo Ceske Budejovice	Sparta Prague	2:1	L
03.07.2018	Club	Sparta Prague	Celtic FC	0:1	L
27.06.2018	Club	Sparta Prague	MFK Ruzomberok	0:0	D
26.05.2018	1. L	Bohemians 1905	Sparta Prague	0:0	D
19.05.2018	1. L	Sparta Prague	SK Sigma Olomouc	1:0	W

OPAVA NEWS

Opava returned to the top tier of Czech football after 13 years and their only goal is to avoid the relegation. In the first match against Sparta, Opava would be delighted with a point, so we expect their ultra-defensive setup at the start of the season.

Latest matches: SFC Opava

14.07.2018	Club	MFK Skalica	SFC Opava	2:0	L
05.07.2018	Club	KS Gornik Zabrze	SFC Opava	2:1	L
30.06.2018	Club	SFC Opava	OKS Odra Opole	3:2	W
26.06.2018	Club	SFC Opava	FC Nitra	2:3	L
25.05.2018	FNL	SFC Opava	Fotbal Frydek Mistek	7:0	W

SUMMING UP!

Sparta is the absolute favorite in the upcoming game and everything except their victory would be a surprise.