Ararat-Armenia vs Sparta Prague

Ararat-Armenia's first-ever UEFA Europa League league-phase fixture at home doubles as revenge for last year's Conference League qualifying exit to the same opponent. The Armenian champions became the first club from their country to reach this stage, drawn in a group also featuring AC Milan and Salzburg, while Sparta Prague arrive hoping to collect early points on the road. Domestically, Ararat-Armenia have won four of their last five matches, despite a rough 4-0 loss to rivals Noah. Sparta Prague have been shakier, splitting their opening six Czech league games evenly between wins and defeats. Keep an eye on Albion Rrahmani, Sparta's top scorer last season, against Ararat's Juan Andrés Balanta and João Queirós, both on the scoresheet when the sides last met. That tie, in August 2025 qualifying, ended with Sparta winning 6-2 on aggregate despite losing the second leg 2-1 in Yerevan. Our prediction: 1-2