Prague defeat leaves Sparta with hill to climb in Champions League playoff

Sparta Prague suffered a 2:0 home defeat to Žilina on Tuesday night in a Champions League qualifying game. The result means that Sparta have a hill to climb in next Wednesday’s second, away leg: they need to beat the Slovaks by at least two goals to reach the group stage of the lucrative competition. The Czech title holders last qualified for the Champions League five years ago, while Žilina have never taken part in the competition.

Author: Chris Johnstone