Sparta Prague are set to face Galatasaray in the second leg of their Europa League Playoff on Thursday, 22 February. The first leg was a classic with two players getting sent off and five goals being scored which means all eyes will be on Prague for kick-off on Thursday night. The home side trail by one goal after the first leg so the onus will be on them to open the game up again if they are to qualify for the Round of 16.
Contents
Sparta Prague vs Galatasaray H2H record
Sparta Prague and Galatasaray have faced each other on five previous occasions and there is nothing to split them in terms of H2H record. The Sparta Prague vs Galatasaray last five H2Hs have finished with both teams winning two games apiece and one match ending all square.
- Sparta Prague Wins: 2
- Draws: 1
- Galatasaray Wins: 2
The first time the two sides met was in 1995 in the UEFA Cup qualifying round. Two years later they met in the group stages of the Champions League but then it wasn't until last week that the Sparta Prague vs Galasaraay was reignited in Istanbul.
Sparta Prague vs Galatasaray last five H2Hs
Galatasaray 3-2 Sparta Prague – 13th February 2024
The most recent Sparta Prague vs Galatasaray H2H came last week in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie. The match was played at a frantic pace with both teams giving everything they had to get the win. Galatasaray led twice before being pegged back by Sparta Prague before a last-minute winner from Mauro Icardi ensured they would travel to Prague with a one-goal advantage. Both teams finished the match ten men after Nelsson and Raynes saw red.
Galatasaray 2-0 Sparta Prague – 5th November 1997
Galatasaray and Sparta Prague met in the group stages of the Champions League in 1997. This match marked the fourth game of the group stages and by this point, Galatasaray were all but out after picking zero points in their first three matches. Sparta Prague were still in with a fighting chance but their hopes were quickly extinguished with Galatasaray running out as 2-0 winners. On the night, both goals came from Blackburn legend, Tugay.
Sparta Prague 3-0 Galatasaray – 22nd October 1997
Two weeks earlier, the teams met for the first time in the Champions League in Prague. Sparta Prague produced a dominant display to earn their first win of the group stages thanks to goals from Horst Siegl, Petr Gabriel and Josef Obajdin. The win left Sparta Prague on four points from their first three matches in Group A while the result effectively knocked Galatasaray out who had gone 0-3.
Galatasaray 1-1 Sparta Prague – 22nd August 1995
Sparta Prague secured qualification to the 1995/96 UEFA Cup with a draw away in Istanbul in August 1995. Galatasaray were the favourites when the draw was made but a young Pavel Nedved caused them a whole world of problems across both legs. In this match, Nedved scored a hugely important equaliser for his side after Dean Saunders had given Galatasaray the lead after just four minutes. Sparta Prague went on to reach the third round of the UEFA Cup before being knocked out by AC Milan.
Sparta Prague 3-1 Galatasaray – 8th August 1995
The first-ever meeting between Sparta Prague and Galatasaray came on the 8th of August 1995. Sparta Prague put on a dazzling display on the night with a 22-year-old Pavel Nedved running the show for the hosts. Nedved scored twice on the night to help Sparta Prague to victory which put them in a commanding position ahead of the second leg in Turkey. Nedved's performances in the competition would earn him a big move to Lazio at the end of the season.
Potential MVP – Mauro Icardi
Mauro Icardi is loving at Galatasaray after a turbulent spell at PSG and the Argentina forward has 20 goals to his name in all competitions this season. Despite his team getting knocked out of the Champions League, he is still the joint-top scorer in that competition and netted his first Europa League goal of the season last week. Galatasaray will need Icardi on form in this one if they are to progress to the Round of 16 with plenty of chances expected at both ends of the pitch.
Key trend
Looking at the Sparta Prague vs Galatasaray last five H2Hs, the key trend in matches between these two teams is that the home team usually wins. The only time either side have managed to bag a result away from home was in 1996 when Sparta Prague drew 1-1 in Istanbul. Galatasaray would bite your hand off for that result on Thursday but we are leaning towards a Sparta Prague victory due to Galatasaray's poor away record in Europe.
For more tips, check out our in-depth Europa League betting predictions.
