SPARTA Prague’s Europa League adventure looked like it would be over at the first hurdle on Thursday night.

The Czech Republic giants qualified for the group stage by coming from 2-0 down to beat Danish outfit Sonderjyske 3-2 on Thursday, after a goalless draw in the away leg.

They conceded in the 35th and 40th minutes, but captain David Lafata pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time and Josef Sural equalised midway through the second half before an 85th-minute winner from centre-back Jakub Brabec booked them their place.

Sparta had qualified for the Champions League as runners-up behind Viktoria Plzen in the Czech First League last season.

But they went into the Europa League qualifiers after losing 3-1 to Steaua Bucharest on aggregate, Sural having scored in a 1-1 home draw.

Daily Echo: Sparta Prague taking on Slavia Prague

Midfielder Sural and striker Lafata are two of the Sparta Prague players who were in the Czech Republic’s Euro 2016 squad.

Others included Tomas Koubek, reserve goalkeeper behind Petr Cech, defender Michal Kadlec and Boreck Dockal, who will be one to watch.

Midfielder Dockal has 24 goals in 40 starts for Sparta, including three this season and two in the opening league game, a 3-2 win against Synot.

Like the rest of Sparta’s Czech Republic contingent, he will be keen to make up for a disappointing Euro 2016.

The 27-year-old has won 25 caps, during which he has scored six goals from midfield, but his one Euro 2016 finals appearance came in the last group game, a 2-0 defeat against Turkey, as they crashed out.

Lafata was the only other Sparta player to start in France, having played in the 2-2 draw against Croatia following a 1-0 defeat against Spain.

But Sparta are in form this season.

With three wins and a draw, they are top of the Czech First League on goal difference after four games, two Lafata goals having given them a 3-0 win on Sunday.

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Winners of the Czech First League on 26 occasions, Sparta also have impressive European pedigree. They reached the semi-final stage of the old European Cup way back in 1992 and the last four of the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup in 1973.

It is a quarter of a century since they beat Rangers and Marseille, before finishing second in a European Cup semi-final group including Barcelona, Dynamo Kiev and Benfica.

They were also Champions League regulars from 1997-2006 without ever going past the second group stage.

In Zdenek Scasny they have a manager of vast experience.

The 59-year-old former Czechoslovakia midfielder returned to the club in April 2015, 16 years after adding two Czech titles to the three he won as a player (including two with Sparta in the mid 1980s.).

He has managed half-a-dozen other Czech clubs as well as Greek giants Panathinaikos.

The stadium

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Generali Arena, Prague

THE GENERALI Arena has been the home of Sparta Prague since 1921, but has undergone many changes since then.

Its original terraced version, Stadion Letná, burnt down in 1934 and its replacement was rebuilt in 1969. It has had its current guise since an extensive renovation in 1994 and has a capacity of 19,416.

Previously known as the Toyota Arena and the AXA Arena, it has had its current naming rights deal since 2009 and often hosts the Czech national team.

But it has a chequered past. In 2001 Sparta was hit by a £40,000 fine following racist slurs targeted at black Brazilian Luis Robson in a UEFA Champions League match against Spartak Moscow. At the time, it was the biggest fine ever handed out by UEFA to a club for racist chanting.

Located in the Letná areas just north of Prague’s old town, the stadium is a pleasant 20-minute walk from Old Town Square and Prague Castle.

It is easily accessible by tram or metro from the southern part of the city centre.

The city

Daily Echo: An aerial view of the Old Town pier architecture and Charles Bridge over Vitava river in Prague

PRAGUE is an enchanting ancient city nicknamed “the city of a Hundred Spires” for its fairytale panorama of castles, churches and grand buildings.

And it is also famed for some of the best beer in the world with countless bars and pubs – making it a lure for stag and hen dos.

The city of 1.2 million is the capital of the Czech Republic and sitting on the banks of the Vltava River boasts 1,000 years of rich architectural history making it one of the top most visited European cities.

It rose to prominence in the 14th century as the capital of the then Holy Roman Empire and is a longstanding political, cultural, and economic centre of central Europe.

The city is famed for its ancient buildings with an incredible range of Romanesque, Gothic, Renaissance, Baroque, neoclassical and art nouveau styles.

There are several major museums, along with numerous bars, pubs theatres, galleries, cinemas, and other historical buildings and exhibits.

The Czechs have been famous for producing some of the world’s finest brews of Pilsner-style lager.

Famous brand names – Urquell, Staropramen and Budvar – have been equalled, and even surpassed, by regional Czech beers and microbreweries that are catering to a renewed interest in traditional brewing. 

The Old Town Square is the heart of its historic core, its main market place for 1,000 years and home to most of its most major sights including the city’s famous Astronomical Clock. 

There are busking jazz bands, al fresco concerts, political meetings and fashion shows.

The maze of cobbled lanes and hidden courtyards is a paradise for the aimless wanderer, always beckoning you to explore a little further. Just a few blocks away from the Old Town Square you can stumble across ancient chapels, unexpected gardens, cute cafes and old-fashioned bars.

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One of the city’s most famous landmarks is Charles Bridge, which spans the River Vltava,

By 9am it’s a 500m-long fairground, with an army of tourists squeezing through a gauntlet of hawkers and buskers beneath the gaze of the baroque statues that line the parapets. 

Prague Castle looms above the River Vltava’s left bank like a fairytale fortress with an impressive rank of spires, towers and palaces dominate the city centre.

Within its walls lies a varied and fascinating collection of historic buildings, museums and galleries that are home to some of the Czech Republic’s greatest artistic and cultural treasures.

There are tours of the city from everything from river cruises to segways and the river looks stunning at night.

People can also visit Prague Zoo which is home to more than 2,000 animals representing 354 species.

For those wanting a more poignant reminder of the evils of war there are the museums and monuments laying bare the horrors of the Second World War.

Prague Jewish Museum consists of six Jewish monuments clustered together including a series of Synagogues and the Old Jewish Cemetery.

Tours also run to the nearby Terezin Concentration Camp where thousands of Jews and other prisoners died at the hands of the Nazis.

It is said that there are more hotels in central Prague than there are streets, with a wide range of places to chose from.

But be prepared to wrap up warm – from the autumn temperatures dip in Prague and snow cover can be common in the winter months between mid-November.

How to get there

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PRAGUE is two hours away by air and flights leave from the London area.

London Stanstead (STN) is offering a return trip with RyanAir for roughly £105 for the dates of Saints’ match with Sparta.

Hungarian based airline Wizz Air are also doing a package from London Luton to the city for around £80.

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