Plzeň preparing to face Maribor in first leg of Champions League playoff

Viktoria Plzeň will welcome the Slovenian side Maribor on Tuesday evening in the first leg of a tie to decide a place in world soccer’s biggest club competition the Champions League. The second leg will take place in Slovenia on Wednesday next week. The West Bohemian club first reached the Champions League in 2011, the same year they won the Czech league for the first time, and last season topped a Europa League group that included Italy’s Napoli.