Sparta Prague vs Inter Milan Preview: Team News & Prediction

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Sparta Prague lost their manager over the summer and have found the UEFA Champions League very difficult to adapt to ahead of facing one of the favourites, Internazionale, this week.
Kick-off date/time: Wednesday 22nd January, 2025: UK – 8:00pm / US ET – 3:00pm / US PT – 12:00pm
How to watch on TV: UK – TNT Sports / US – Not televised
How to watch online: UK – Discovery+ / US – Paramount+
Sparta Prague Team News: Key concerns in attack
Sparta Prague have a few definite absentees ahead of this one, such as Ecuador international defender Angelo Preciado, but they are dealing with key doubts in attacking areas including Slovakia international Lukas Haraslin and Serbia international striker Veljko Birmancevic.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Vindahl; Vitik, Panak, Sorensen; Wiesner, Kairinen, Sadilek, Laci, Rynes; Krasniqi, Olatunji
Unavailable: Rrahmani (Injured), Preciado (Injured), Garcia (Injured)
Questionable: Haraslin (Injured), Birmancevic (Injured)
Inter Milan Team News: Mkhitaryan returns
Armenia international Henrikh Mkhitaryan has been missing for the last few weeks but he has returned to full fitness, although Turkey international Hakan Calhanoglu remains sidelined alongside both Yann Bisseck and Joaquin Correa.
Predicted XI (3-5-2): Sommer; Darmian, De Vrij, Bastoni; Dumfries, Barella, Asllani, Mkhitaryan, Dimarco; Martinez, Thuram
Unavailable: Bisseck (Injured), Calhanoglu (Injured), Correa (Injured)
Questionable: Acerbi (Injured)
Key Stats
- The only previous UEFA club competition meetings between these two teams were in the 2016/17 UEFA Europa League group stage when a 3-1 home win for Sparta on Matchday 2 was followed by a 2-1 success at home for Inter on Matchday 6.
- Sparta have lost their last three UEFA club competition matches against Italian clubs, most recently defeats 0-3 away and 0-1 home against AC Milan in the 2020/21 Europa League group stage.
- Sparta have won only five of their previous 28 UEFA club competition matches against Italian clubs (D10 L13).
- Sparta have lost their last four UEFA Champions League matches.
- Sparta have won their last three competitive matches at home (all domestic league).
- Inter have won three successive UEFA club competition matches against Czech teams and are unbeaten in the last five (W4 D1).
- Inter have won eight of their last nine away matches in all competitions (L1).
- Inter have kept seven clean sheets in their last eight away matches in all competitions.
- Inter were unbeaten in 12 successive UEFA Champions League group/league matches prior to their defeat against Leverkusen on Matchday 6 (W7 D4).
- Inter have conceded a total of only one goal in their previous six UEFA Champions League matches this season.
- Hakan Çalhanoğlu has made 49 appearances in the UEFA Champions League proper. Only three Turkish players have reached the landmark of 50 appearances; Arif Erdem (51), Ergün Penbe (51) and Bülent Korkmaz (50).
- Inter have won seven of their last nine matches in all competitions (D1 L1).
- Lautaro Martínez has scored four goals in his last six competitive appearances for Inter.
Sparta Prague vs Inter Milan Prediction
Sparta Prague head into the final two matches of the league phase of the 2024/25 UEFA Champions League campaign sitting four points behind the top 24. They won their first game before then getting a draw in their second game but have now suffered four successive defeats. Inter haven’t been as fluent as they were when they dominated Serie A last season but the Nerazzurri remain in a good position to retain their title and they will also be expected to go deep into this competition with a comfortable away win to be expected for this clash in the Czech capital.
Sparta Prague vs Inter Milan Tip: Inter Milan to win -1 handicap