Rijeka vs Sparta Prague prediction: EUROPE: Conference League – League phase betting tips on match 2025-10-22 16:45.
[p]Rijeka were one of 16 sides to lose their opening league phase game in the UEFA Conference League, and they look to put it right against a Sparta Prague side who were one of the biggest winners on matchday one. [/p]
[p]Match News and Current Form[/p]
[p]The title defence of Croatian league champions Rijeka is in tatters after a change of head coach in September failed to produce any meaningful improvement. Rijeka have won just two of their first ten league matches (D5, L3) and already sit a whopping 11 points behind Dinamo Zagreb at the summit. Things haven’t been too much better in Europe either, where they lost 1-0 away to Armenian side Noah on the opening matchday of this Conference League, their first foray into the main draw of a European competition since the 2020/21. There are no guarantees of things picking up at home either, where Rijeka have won just one of their last six competitive games (D2, L3).[/p]
[p]Sparta Prague assume favouritism for this fixture, perhaps owing to much more frequent European appearances in comparison with their hosts. They illustrated why they are arguably too classy for this competition with a 4-1 home demolition of Shamrock Rovers on the first matchday, their fifth win from seven Conference League games this season (L2). Those two defeats both came on foreign soil, though with just three losses from their ten away games across all competitions in 2025/26 (W5, D2), Sparta have tended to travel strongly this term. [/p]
[p]Head-to-Head History[/p]
[p]Rijeka have never played a competitive match against a Czech club. Sparta have a W2, D2, L2 record against Croatian sides, although the home side on the day avoided defeat in all six games.[/p]
[p]Hot Stats and Streaks[/p]
[p]Five of Rijeka’s last seven games against top-flight opposition saw both teams score. [/p]
[p]Seven of Rijeka’s last nine home losses in continental football came by a one-goal margin.[/p]
[p]Five of Sparta Prague’s last seven UEFA games produced over 2.5 goals. [/p]
[p]Six of Sparta Prague’s last eight competitive wins came by a 2+ goal margin.[/p]
[p]Key Players to Watch and Missing Players[/p]
[p]Daniel Adu-Adjei found the net in each of his last two games, with each of his last four club strikes arriving after half-time. One of Sparta’s four goals against Shamrock Rovers came through Lukáš SadĂlek, who has won seven of his last eight goalscoring appearances in all tournaments. [/p]
[p]Rijeka have no notable concerns for this match. Sparta will be hoping captain Lukáš HaraslĂn is okay after he missed the weekend with a minor ailment. [/p]
[p]For all the latest team news, please check the Flashscore match centre.[/p]
[p]Betting Analysis[/p]
[p]Despite Sparta’s recent stumbles, they have a class edge over their out-of-form hosts, so we’re backing Sparta Prague to win.[/p]
[p][i]Author: Aaron Murphy[/i][/p]