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Sparta Prague will host FC Krasnodar in the Europa League last 32 round, with each of these two fine sides looking to gain an edge before going into the second leg.
The home team is currently second in the domestic seconds, 3 points behind Viktoria Plzen, but that does not say much. The reality is that Sparta is playing the best football in the Czech Republic and they are second only because of a poor start to the season. Sparta Prague ended 2015 with 5 consecutive wins in all competitions and after the Winter break they posted another one, a 2-1 victory over Zlin last weekend, making it 8 in a row. In the Europa League group stage Sparta finished on the second place, 2 points behind 1st placed Schalke and 8 points ahead of 3rd placed Asteras.
Sparta Prague has a 100% winning percentage at home in the Czech league, 8 out of 8. If we are to take all competitions, Sparta has 12 wins, 1 draw (Schalke) and 1 loss (CSKA Moscow) at home this season. Pretty impressive statistics.
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FC Krasnodar managed to top a group that also featured Dortmund, PAOK an Kabala, so that was pretty impressive from their part. The visitors played some great football in Europe and performed pretty well in the Russian Premier League as well, where they are 5th, with a real shot of playing Champions League football next year. The end of 2015 was particularly impressive for Krasnodar, as they won 8 out of the last 9 games of the year. However, they will have to deal with a very long layoff, as this will be their first game since early December.
Both sides had long layoffs in the Winter, but Sparta will be advantaged by the fact that they at least have a game under their belt and also play in the comfort of their own home, while Krasnodar had to travel almost 2000 km. I reckon this is a pretty important edge for Sparta.
Listen, Krasnodar is a truly solid team, but I think they will struggle in the beginning after such a long break and having to travel so far to a field where almost nobody takes points. Look for Sparta Praga to start confident and strong, putting pressure from the beginning, looking to capitalize on Krasnodar’s rustiness.
As such, I will choose a first half bet. My tip is Sparta Prague to win the 1st half with a 0,25 asian handicap. Prediction: Sparta Prague – FC Krasnodar 2-2 (1-0 half time).
Pick: Sparta Prague First Half (-0,25 Asian Handicap)
Odds: 2.29 @ Sbobet
Stake: 6
Possible profit: 9.74
Event date: 18 February
