Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth: Prediction, Tips and Odds | Europa League

Sparta Prague host Bournemouth at the epet ARENA on Thursday, kicking off at 5:45pm UK time 16th in the Europa League table and searching for a first home win of the league phase.

Marco Rose's Cherries are fourth in the table with a perfect record from three games, and they arrive in Prague having won their last six matches without conceding.

Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth preview and form guide

Sparta drew 0-0 at Bohemians 1905 on Sunday, even though the hosts had a player sent off in the 74th minute, and Patrik Vydra admitted afterwards that Sparta must start scoring.

That disappointment followed up a 2-0 home loss to Banik Ostrava in the Czech Cup, a side they had also drawn 0-0 with in the league 10 days prior.

Last time out in Europe, Iron Sparta were beaten 1-0 at Olympiacos, failing to respond to a 78th-minute own goal in a game that saw just one of their 14 shots hit the target.

Jonatan Braut Brunes ended a 14-game goal drought with four in the 5-1 win over Slovacko on October 25, although he has not scored in this season's Europa League, where centre-back Tobias Guddal leads the scoring with two.

That comprehensive triumph remains Sparta's only one from their last six matches across all competitions, a stretch that includes three draws and two defeats.

Their singular win of the league phase was a 4-1 victory at Ararat-Armenia on September 16, a result that accounts for all but one of the five goals they have scored in the competition so far.

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Bournemouth arrive in Prague on the back of an immense six-game winning streak, which kicked off with a 3-0 victory over Sturm Graz on matchday two of the Europa League.

The Cherries' staggering run has most notably seen them keep clean sheets throughout, including in a now-iconic 3-0 triumph against Italian giants AC Milan at the Vitality Stadium, where Justin Kluivert and Marcus Tavernier scored penalties before Amine Adli added a third from a free kick.

Manager Rose had enormous shoes to fill after Andoni Iraola left to take the reins at Liverpool, but a 3-0 win against Manchester United at Old Trafford, a repeat of that scoreline against Aston Villa, and a 2-0 victory over Leeds last Saturday have given fans confidence in him.

Evanilson will be looking for his second league-phase strike, having scored in four straight Premier League games and registering eight goal involvements in the English top flight this season, a total that only Erling Haaland has bettered.

However, the Cherries' threat is spread across the team, with the versatile Tavernier their top league scorer with five goals, while Adli scored against Milan, Villa and Leeds last month.

Bournemouth are clear favourites with the bookmakers, and anyone shopping around for prices can use our ranking of the best UK bookmakers for football betting.

Team news: Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth predicted lineups

Sparta Prague team news

John Mercado has a calf injury and is expected to be sidelined after sitting out the past four games.

Emmanuel Uchenna and Adam Sevinsky are unavailable at centre-back, while left-back Matej Rynes and attacking midfielder Adam Karabec are also out with ankle injuries, along with Ondrej Penxa, who has a knee problem.

The main selection question is up front, where Matyas Vojta started against Olympiacos but Brunes, who has not scored since netting his four goals against Slovacko, is the alternative.

Sparta Prague predicted XI vs Bournemouth (4-3-3)

Surovcik; Hoever, Guddal, Zeleny, Suchomel; Sochurek, Macek, Eneme; Jurasek, Vojta, Alcocer

Bournemouth team news

Alex Toth has had surgery on the hamstring injury he suffered against Milan, and Rose said: “We're not going to see him before the new year. We're going to miss him for several months.”

Alex Scott is out for this match with a thigh injury, but he could return for the Premier League game against Ipswich on Sunday.

Juanlu is sidelined due to a twisted ankle, with manager Rose highlighting it as a ligament injury, though the club are still waiting to find out how long the 23-year-old could miss.

Eli Junior Kroupi supplied the pass for Adli's late goal against Leeds but is not in Bournemouth's European squad, as Rose explained before the Milan game.

Elsewhere, Julian Araujo is recovering from thigh surgery, while Veljko Milosavljevic is closing in on a return to action after his knee injury.

Bournemouth predicted XI vs Sparta Prague (4-2-3-1)

Di Gregorio; Hill, Diakite, Silva, Truffert; Adams, Christie; Gannon-Doak, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson

Head-to-head: Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth

Sparta Prague and Bournemouth have never played each other, and Thursday's showdown will be the first meeting between the clubs.

Sparta have faced English opposition before, losing 5-0 at Manchester City in the 2024/25 Champions League league phase and, the season before, 5-1 at home to Liverpool and 6-1 at Anfield in the Europa League last 16, but those games are too long ago to say much about this one.

The closest comparison is each club's league-phase experience, with Sparta drawing 1-1 with Lillestrom in their only home game and Bournemouth winning 2-1 at Real Sociedad in their only away fixture so far.

Our Sparta Prague vs Bournemouth prediction and betting tips

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