Slavia Prague will look to maintain their perfect start to the season when they host Dnipro-1 in the UEFA Europa League. The Czech team has won all three of its league games so far this season. The Ukrainian team won its first match of the domestic season last weekend.
Preview (Slavia Prague vs Dnipro-1)
It is easy to say that Slavia Prague could not have asked for a better start to the new campaign. The Red and Whites are currently tied for first place in the Czech Liga following three straight victories. After defeating Hradec Kralove 2-0 in their first match, Jindrich Trpisovsky’s team defeated Ceske Budejovice 3-1 before defeating Zlin 2-1 in their most recent match. Dutch attacker Mick van Buren scored his second goal of the year. Additionally, Slavia Prague had a perfect preseason. They games against Rakow, Maccabi Haifa, Podbrezova, and Queens Park Rangers before drawing with Dynamo Dresden.
Trpisovsky’s team will be confident of qualifying for the Europa League proper. The Slavists have only lost once in their last 23 games in all competitions. Thanks to a good finish to the previous season. In contrast, Dnipro-1 won their first game of the 2023–24 Ukrainian Premier League 2-1 over Polissya Zhytomyr. Ruslan Babenko’s 91st-minute winner canceled out Denis Yanakov’s 87th–minute equalizer.
Dnipro-1 began the new season in the second qualifying round for the Champions League after finishing second in the Ukrainian Premier League last term, five points behind reigning champions Shakhtar Donetsk. Oleksandr Kucher’s team ultimately fell to Greek club Panathinaikos 5-3 on the road, dropping into Europa League qualification after losing 3-1 at home and drew 2-2 in Athens. Dnipro-1 will be eager to make their name on the European stage once more after making it all the way to the elimination round of the Europa Conference League last season, earning 10 out of a possible 18 points before losing to AEK Larnaca in the playoffs.
Team News
David Pech has been out since suffering a cruciate ligament rupture. He is still out for Slavia Prague. David Doudera will miss the first leg after suffering a muscle injury against Ceske Budejovice. Mojmir Chytil has already registered two goals and one assist in the Czech Liga this season.
On the other hand, Dnipro’s injury list includes left-back Yanis Hamache and goalkeeper Yevgen Volynets. Midfielder Volodymyr Tanchyk is suspended due to a red card he received in the second leg against Panathinaikos. In his preferred 4-2-3-1 system, Oleksandr Kucher is anticipated to remain with it on Thursday, with Denys Miroshnichenko, Oleksandr Pikhalyonok, and Valentin Rubchynskyi lining up behind newcomer Maksym Tretyakov. Slavia Prague, who has made an impressive start to the new campaign, appears poised to take a commanding first-leg lead over Dnipro-1, who will probably find it difficult to handle the Reds and Whites’ offensive style at home.
Slavia Prague 2 – 0 Dnipro-1
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