Neither team played in league action over the weekend due to floods across Central and Eastern Europe, which led to the postponement of numerous top-flight games.

While UEFA is sometimes criticized for protecting the elite, especially in the Champions League, the meeting of these two clubs at this stage contradicts that notion.

Teams from Czechia (or Czechoslovakia) and Austria will meet in the top tier of European competition for the first time in 41 years.

Sparta's qualification for the Champions League after 19 years is a significant factor, as they will play their first match at this level since a 0-0 draw with FC Thun back in 2005.

During the peak of Czech football in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Sparta was at the forefront, reaching the group stage seven times in nine seasons.

However, it was evident that their talent was fading towards the end of that run, as Sparta failed to win any of their final 14 Champions League matches before the recent drought—the fourth-longest current winless run of any club, behind only FCSB, Genk, and Maribor.

Sparta has had to endure some dark days before getting back to the top level, losing in qualifying to teams such as Denizlispor, Vaslui, Spartak Subotica, and neighbors Zilina from across the Slovakian border.

Sparta will also hope to be more competitive against the elite than they were last season when the Czech side was thrashed 11-2 on aggregate by Liverpool in the Europa League.

The Maroons have not lost since that rotten week in March, which also included a 4-0 loss at Viktoria Plzen, as they sit top of the Czech league with 19 points from seven games.

The playoff win over Malmo has been the big talking point in the capital over the summer, as it inspired them to see off the Swedish side 4-0 on aggregate.

The clubs have met previously despite the visitor's relatively modest European history, in Champions League qualifying in 1997, when the Austrians were known as Wustenrot Salzburg, long before the Red Bull takeover, and Sparta won 3-0 on aggregate.

That acquisition has transformed the club, though, with the Champions League now being familiar territory for Salzburg, who are participating in their sixth straight group/league phase.

Only Shakhtar Donetsk has equaled that feat from outside Europe's top-five leagues, but the new manager will be tasked with taking the next step and making the club competitive further into European competitions.

Salzburg has only reached the Champions League knockouts once, and that ended with a 7-1 second-leg defeat to Bayern Munich in the last 16 in 2022.

Lijnders has already made a promising start, beating Twente and Dynamo Kiev to get this far, with Salzburg needing to go through qualification after surrendering their league title for the first time in 11 years to Sturm Graz last season.

Arresting a run of just one win in 10 Champions League away games will be the order of the day here, as Salzburg will look to make a strong start against one of their lowest-ranked opponents.

Friis should be able to welcome back wing-back after he played for Ecuador during the international break following a brief spell out injured.

Sparta duo and are both doubtful for this one, but Spaniard is a confirmed absentee after tearing his ACL just 23 minutes into his league debut last month.

left the club over the summer, but replacement has made a blistering start since arriving from Rapid Bucharest, scoring two in his first two games, as well as notching for Kosovo during the break.

Salzburg boss Lijnders will hope to have two players he knows very well available to him here in the form of and, who are both yet to make their debuts since joining from Liverpool.

and could be sidelined for a while after recent injuries, while and are also not ready to return yet.

Left-back has missed the last few Salzburg games with injury, but was in the squad for Serbia during the internationals, so should feature.

Vindahl; Vitik, Panak, Sorensen; Preciado, Laci, Kairinen, Rynes; Birmancevic, Rrahmani, HaraslinIn front of what will be a rapturous atmosphere in Prague, a lack of match sharpness should cause no problems despite neither side having played in almost three weeks.

Haraslin will be crucial for the hosts, but Salzburg's conveyor belt of young talent will keep on producing and could treat onlookers to an entertaining game here.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines, and more for this match.