Chelsea vs Sparta Praha Preview

February 20, 2013 By Gregory Sica

Topics: Chelsea, Sparta Prague, Europa League

Having picked up a vital victory in Prague last week, the Blues are highly-fancied to secure passage into the last sixteen of the Europa League at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.

European champions Chelsea have an ideal opportunity to move closer towards another title, when they tackle Sparta Prague in the return leg of the Europa League Round of 32 tie in London.

Following their late 1-0 victory over Sparta Prague last week, the Blues are the odds-on favourites to progress into the last sixteen of the competition.

Chelsea come into the clash, after having hit four goals past a hapless Brentford in the FA Cup, and will be hoping to do exactly the same thing against a team who clearly revealed their weaknesses in the first leg.

The Blues are one of the favourites, if not the favourite, to win the Europa League this season, and will surely give it their all as they intend to wrap up the tie looking ahead to the decisive stages of the competition.

Chelsea manager Rafael Benitez has selected a close-to full-strength starting eleven for the clash, with the likes of Frank Lampard, Juan Mata, Oscar and Fernando Torres expected to rip apart highly-vulnerable opponents.

The Blues have no injury or suspension concerns ahead of the game, but Senegalese striker Demba Ba is cup-tied after featuring for former club Newcastle United earlier in the competition.

Rivals Sparta will be boosted by the return of Jiri Jarosik, who missed the first leg through injury.

The Czechs are more than aware of the fact that they face a complicated challenge, but will definitely play their hearts out in order to possibly cause the upset of the competition so far.