Supercomputer Predicts Champions League Flop for Slavia Prague

Prague's Slavia are heading into the Champions League league phase with big ambitions, but analysts aren't offering much encouragement. According to Football Ranked, an analytical simulator built on statistics and mathematical modelling, the Czech side are projected to finish with just five points — a worse forecast than all but four of the tournament's 36 clubs.

"We want to finally get a win. We'll be striving for that, and we believe we can do it," Slavia's team director Stanislav Vlček said ahead of the draw. But the optimism faded once the draw was made: Slavia's opponents turned out to be tougher than expected, one after another.

A Long Winless Streak

This marks Slavia's fourth appearance in the Champions League's main stage in the club's history. Their only victory came back in 2007, and in the nearly 19 years since, they haven't managed to win a single match in the competition. Over that span, the club has made 19 attempts to break the drought — all unsuccessful.

Under current head coach Jindřich Trpišovský, Slavia finished bottom of a four-team group without a single win in 2019, and last season managed only three draws in eight matches.

Tough Opponents Across the Board

This season, Prague will host last year's runners-up Arsenal (who beat them 3-0 in their previous meeting), reigning Europa League champions Aston Villa, as well as Villarreal and Lens. On the road, Slavia will face six-time champions Bayern Munich, Istanbul's Fenerbahçe, Portugal's Porto, and Azerbaijani debutants Qarabağ... [Sabah].

"Very tough opponents, big clubs," admitted coach Trpišovský. "This is probably one of the hardest groups around." Football Ranked's analysts share that assessment.

The Supercomputer's Verdict

According to the Football Ranked simulator, Slavia's best chances of picking up points will come in the home fixture against Villarreal and the away trip to face Sabah. Meanwhile, the trip to Munich to take on Bayern is projected to be the club's toughest test of the entire campaign.

Despite the gloomy outlook, spirits at the club remain high. "After last season, we should be more experienced now — we already know what to expect," midfielder Michal Sadílek said, rallying his teammates.

Source: denik.cz