UEFA EUROPA LEAGUE - 2015/16 SEASON MATCH PRESS KITS Stadion Letná - Prague Thursday 26 November 2015 19.00CET (19.00 local time) AC Sparta Praha Group K - Matchday 5 Asteras Tripolis FC Last updated 21/03/2016 09:48CET Previous meetings 2 Match background 3 Team facts 4 Squad list 6 Fixtures and results 8 Match-by-match lineups 11 Match officials 13 Legend 14 1 AC Sparta Praha - Asteras Tripolis FC Thursday 26 November 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Letná, Prague Previous meetings Head to Head UEFA Europa League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Asteras Tripolis FC - AC Sparta 17/09/2015 GS 1-1 Tripoli Arkadia Mazza 2; Lafata 56 Praha Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA AC Sparta Praha 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 Asteras Tripolis FC 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 AC Sparta Praha - Record versus clubs from opponents' country UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Sarriegi 45, Panathinaikos FC - AC Sparta 3-0 04/08/2009 QR3 Athens Katsouranis 54, Praha agg: 4-3 Salpingidis 89 Holenda 26, Vacek AC Sparta Praha - Panathinaikos 28/07/2009 QR3 3-1 Prague 32, Kalouda 86; FC Salpingidis 67 UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Panathinaikos FC - AC Sparta 1-0 26/08/2008 QR3 Athens Souza 89 Praha agg: 3-1 AC Sparta Praha - Panathinaikos Kulič 30; Kučera 24 13/08/2008 QR3 1-2 Prague FC (og), Simão 60 UEFA Champions League Date Stage Match Result Venue Goalscorers Panathinaikos FC - AC Sparta Konstantinou 15, 47; 27/02/2002 GS2 2-1 Athens Praha Klein 90 AC Sparta Praha - Panathinaikos Karagounis 39, 19/02/2002 GS2 0-2 Prague FC Konstantinou 71 Asteras Tripolis FC - Record versus clubs from opponents' country Asteras Tripolis FC have not played against a club from their opponents' country Home Away Final Total Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L Pld W D L GF GA AC Sparta Praha 3 1 0 2 4 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 7 1 1 5 6 12 Asteras Tripolis FC 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 1 2 AC Sparta Praha - Asteras Tripolis FC Thursday 26 November 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Letná, Prague Match background AC Sparta Praha will look to take a big step towards the UEFA Europa League round of 32 as they welcome Asteras Tripolis FC, who have yet to win a European away game. • Sparta will qualify with a victory, provided APOEL FC fail to beat FC Schalke 04 in the section's other fixture. If Schalke win, they are through. Previous meetings • David Lafata's goal earned Sparta a 1-1 draw in Greece when the sides met for the first time on matchday one. It was Asteras's maiden encounter with Czech opponents. • Sparta's seven meetings with Greek opponents – all with Panathinaikos FC prior to matchday one – have ended W1 D1 L5 (W1 D0 L2 at home). Form guide • Sparta are unbeaten in six European games (W2 D4) since succumbing to PFC CSKA Moskva in the third qualifying round of this season's UEFA Champions League. • Sparta are undefeated in 11 UEFA Europa League group stage home fixtures (W6 D5) since a 3-0 reverse against FC København in December 2009. • Asteras have yet to win in 11 UEFA away games (D5 L6). • Sparta have made it through to the knockout phase in two of their six UEFA Cup and UEFA Europa League group stage campaigns, most recently missing the cut last season. • Asteras failed to advance to the round of 32 in their maiden group stage appearance last term. Trivia and links • The journey from Tripolis to Prague is just over 1,500km. • Sparta striker Lafata played in Greece earlier in his career for Xanthi FC (2005/06). • Asteras midfielder Elini Dimoutsos has played in the Czech Republic with FK Mladá Boleslav (2011). • Sparta defender Radoslav Kováč turns 36 the day after the Asteras game. The coaches • Experienced coach Zdeněk Ščasný took charge at Sparta in the summer. A defender and midfielder, he won Czechoslovakian titles with SK Slavia Praha and Sparta. As a coach, he led Sparta to two championships in the 1990s and has also worked in Greece and Hungary. • Ščasný has a good knowledge of Greek football from his time with OFI Crete (2002–03) and Panathinaikos FC (2004/05). • A serious knee injury having ended his playing career, Staikos Vergetis dedicated himself to coaching, coming to Asteras as a youth specialist in 2006. He worked in various capacities under 11 coaches before he was given the senior job in October 2013. 3 AC Sparta Praha - Asteras Tripolis FC Thursday 26 November 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Letná, Prague Team facts AC Sparta Praha Formed: 1893 Nickname: Železná Sparta (Iron Sparta) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • none Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) League title: 36 (2014) Czech Cups: 20 (2014) Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 2014/15: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2013/14: second qualifying round 2012/13: round of 32 2011/12: play-offs 2010/11: round of 32 (having transferred from UEFA Champions League play-offs) 2009/10: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2008/09: first round (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2007/08: group stage (having transferred from UEFA Champions League third qualifying round) 2006/07: group stage 2005/06: UEFA Champions League group stage Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 10-0: Sparta v Anorthosis Famagusta FC 16/09/64, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup preliminary round first leg • Biggest away win 0-6: Anorthosis Famagusta FC v Sparta 20/09/64, UEFA Cup Winners' Cup preliminary round second leg • Heaviest home defeat 1-5: Sparta v FC Steaua Bucureşti 07/09/88, European Champion Clubs' Cup first round first leg • Heaviest away defeat 5-0 on three occasions, most recently v Olympique Lyonnais 08/12/04, UEFA Champions League group stage UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 5-0: Sparta v FK Sarajevo 28/07/11, third qualifying round first leg • Biggest away win 0-3: ŠK Slovan Bratislava v Sparta 23/10/14, group stage • Heaviest home defeat 0-3: Sparta v FC København 16/12/09, group stage • Heaviest away defeat 4-0: Neuchâtel Xamax FC v Sparta 15/09/81 first round first leg Asteras Tripolis FC Formed: 1931 Nickname: Arkades (Arcadians) UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets) • none Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets) 4 AC Sparta Praha - Asteras Tripolis FC Thursday 26 November 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Letná, Prague None Ten-year European record (UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup unless indicated otherwise) 2014/15: group stage 2013/14: third qualifying round 2012/13: third qualifying round 2011/12: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2010/11: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2009/10: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2008/09: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2007/08: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2006/07: did not take part in UEFA club competition 2005/06: did not take part in UEFA club competition Records UEFA club competition • Biggest home win 4-2: Asteras v RoPS Rovaniemi 24/07/14, UEFA Europa League second qualifying round second leg 3-1: Asteras v 1. FSV Mainz 05 07/08/14, UEFA Europa League third qualifying round second leg 2-0 on three occasions, most recently v APOEL FC 05/11/15, UEFA Europa League group stage • Biggest away win N/A • Heaviest home defeat 1-2: Asteras v Tottenham Hotspur FC 06/11/14, UEFA Europa League group stage • Heaviest away defeat 5-1: Tottenham Hotspur FC v Asteras 23/10/14, UEFA Europa League group stage 4-0: FC Schalke 04 v Asteras 01/10/15, UEFA Europa League group stage UEFA Europa League/UEFA Cup • Biggest home win 4-2: Asteras v RoPS Rovaniemi (see above) 3-1: Asteras v 1. FSV Mainz 05 (see above) 2-0 on three occasions, most recently v APOEL FC (see above) • Biggest away win N/A • Heaviest home defeat 1-2: Asteras v Tottenham Hotspur FC (see above) • Heaviest away defeat 5-1: Tottenham Hotspur FC 5-1 Asteras (see above) 4-0: FC Schalke 04 v Asteras (see above) 5 AC Sparta Praha - Asteras Tripolis FC Thursday 26 November 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Letná, Prague Squad list AC Sparta Praha Current season All-time UCL QUAL UEL League UEL UEFA No. Player Nat. DoB Age D Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Pld Gls Goalkeepers 1 Marek Štěch CZE 28/01/1990 25 - - - - - - - 2 - 2 - 3 - 27 Miroslav Miller CZE 19/08/1980 35 - - - - - - - - - 9 - 12 - 35 David Bičík CZE 06/04/1981 34 - 2 - 2 - 4 - 12 - 8 - 28 - Defenders 5 Jakub Brabec CZE 06/08/1992 23 - 1 - - - 3 1 9 - 9 1 13 2 15 Radoslav Kováč CZE 27/11/1979 35 - - - - - - - - - 25 1 84 5 17 Markus Steinhöfer GER 07/03/1986 29 - - - 1 - 1 - 7 - 21 - 40 - 25 Mario Holek CZE 28/10/1986 29 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 9 - 15 - 31 1 26 Costa ZIM 06/01/1986 29 * 2 - 2 2 4 - 11 1 10 1 21 3 29 Matěj Hybš CZE 03/01/1993 22 * 2 - 2 - 3 - 12 - 7 - 12 - Midfielders 3 Michal Breznaník SVK 16/12/1985 29 - - - 1 - - - 2 - - - 15 2 6 Lukáš Vácha CZE 13/05/1989 26 - 2 - 1 - - - 3 1 5 1 26 2 8 Marek Matějovský CZE 20/12/1981 33 S 2 - - - 4 - 13 - 34 - 57 3 9 Bořek Dočkal CZE 30/09/1988 27 * 2 - 2 3 4 - 14 5 15 1 44 12 11 Lukáš Mareček CZE 17/04/1990 25 - 2 - 2 - 4 - 12 - 19 - 30 1 14 Martin Frýdek CZE 24/03/1992 23 - 2 - 2 - 2 - 11 - 9 - 23 1 18 Tiémoko Konaté CIV 19/04/1990 25 - 2 - 1 - 3 - 8 1 8 1 13 1 20 Francis Litsingi CGO 10/09/1986 29 - - - 1 - - - 5 1 - - 3 - 22 Josef Hušbauer CZE 16/03/1990 25 - 1 - 2 1 2 - 11 1 12 3 29 5 23 Ladislav Krejčí CZE 05/07/1992 23 - 2 2 2 - 4 - 12 3 17 4 29 8 24 Petr Jiráček CZE 02/03/1986 29 S - - - - 4 - 9 - 4 - 17 - Forwards 7 Kehinde Fatai NGA 19/02/1990 25 - 2 2 2 - 4 2 14 8 7 2 20 9 19 Marco Paixão POR 19/09/1984 31 - 1 - 1 - - - 3 - - - 7 5 21 David Lafata CZE 18/09/1981 34 - 1 - 2 - 4 3 12 9 16 9 35 22 30 Lukáš Juliš CZE 02/12/1994 20 - - - - - 1 - 4 1 1 - 1 - Coach - Zdeněk Ščasný CZE 09/08/1957 58 - 2 - 2 - 2 - - - 11 - 20 - 6 AC Sparta Praha - Asteras Tripolis FC Thursday 26 November 2015 - 19.00CET (19.00 local time) Match press kit Stadion Letná, Prague Asteras Tripolis FC Current season All-time UEL League UEL UEFA No.