Servette’s final test before facing Sparta took them to the Wankdorf on Friday. They lost 3-2 to Young Boys at the same stadium where, nine months earlier, the Czech side produced the comeback that changed their European history.
YB had won the first leg of that Women’s Europa Cup round-of-16 tie 3-0 in Prague and appeared to have settled it. In Bern, Sparta wiped out the deficit inside 36 minutes before Michaela Khýrová completed her hat-trick in added time to make it 4-0. It was the first time in UEFA women’s club competition history that a team had advanced after losing a home first leg by three or more goals.
Now their paths cross. Sparta Praha host Servette FC Chênois Féminin on Wednesday in the first leg of the third qualifying round. The winners enter the Women’s Champions League league phase. The losers remain in Europe but transfer to the second qualifying round of the Women’s Europa Cup.
Sparta made a habit of rescuing ties
Michael Steiner called what happened in Bern a “remontada”. It was not an isolated night in that campaign. Sparta drew 0-0 at home to Ferencváros and won 5-0 in Budapest. After eliminating Young Boys, they recorded another goalless first leg in Prague against Austria Wien before winning the return 3-1.
The run ended against Hammarby in the semi-finals, but it made Sparta the first Czech club to reach that stage of a UEFA women’s competition.
Khýrová remains at the centre of the story. The Czechia international did more than score her Wankdorf hat-trick. On 16 May, she opened the scoring in a 2-0 win over Slavia that returned the league title to Sparta after five years. Elizabeth Ospeck scored the second as Sparta ended their Prague rivals’ run of four successive championships.
That title allowed Sparta to enter Europe directly at this stage. They arrive with two competitive matches and two wins behind them: 4-0 against Prague Raptors and 3-1 against Slovan Liberec. Seven goals scored, one conceded and no previous qualifying tie in their legs.
Europe nevertheless asks them to change one pattern from last season. Sparta failed to score in the home first leg of all three Europa Cup ties they eventually won. This time, the return will be played in Geneva.
Ten signings for a return five years in the making
Servette already know what the main stage of the Champions League feels like. They contested the first group stage under the modern format in 2021/22, facing Chelsea, Wolfsburg and Juventus, but have not managed to return since.
The club have strengthened for another attempt. After winning their third Swiss league title and completing the second double in their history, Servette brought in ten players over the summer. The arrivals included Meriame Terchoun, Laia Ballesté, Mickaella Cardia and Natasha Andonova. Paola Hernández later joined from Costa Adeje Tenerife.
The rebuilt side has taken little time to produce. Cristian Toro’s team beat Dinamo-BSUPC 3-0 and Aktobe 4-0 in the second qualifying round mini-tournament: seven goals shared by five players and none conceded. Hernández and 16-year-old forward Garance Nein scored twice each, with Laura Strik, Asun Martínez and Magdalena Sobal completing the total.
A 3-0 win over Aarau followed on the opening weekend of the domestic season, before the first setback arrived. In Bern, Servette had to equalise twice: Hernández responded to Wibke Meister’s long-range opener and Andonova cancelled out Stephanie Waeber’s header. A free-kick from Waeber eventually decided the game and ended Servette’s unbeaten run against Young Boys, which had stretched back to 2019.
Their record after four competitive matches stands at three wins, one defeat and 12 goals scored. All three they have conceded came on that final night in Bern.
The quarter-hour that could decide the first leg
Six of Servette’s seven European goals have come after half-time. Against Dinamo-BSUPC, a goalless match became a 3-0 win between the 53rd and 60th minutes: Nein broke the deadlock before Strik and Hernández settled the contest within seven minutes. Three of their four goals against Aktobe also arrived in the second half.
There is another side to that figure. Friday’s game against Young Boys again accelerated after the interval, but Servette were the team conceding this time — first from a header and then from a free-kick. They showed the attacking resources to respond, but also struggled to bring an open contest back under control.
That is where the tension in this first leg lies. Sparta have a player in Khýrová who has already punished Young Boys with a tie apparently lost and now enters Europe with two domestic wins behind her. Servette have spread their seven European goals across five players and do not depend on one finisher, but they will need to protect their penalty area better when the original game plan begins to break down.
The opening minutes after half-time — Servette’s most productive period and the weakest stretch of their latest performance — could determine which team travels to Geneva with an advantage.
Sparta Praha vs Servette: kick-off time and how to watch
The first leg will be played at Stadion Letná in Prague on Wednesday 26 August. Kick-off is at 18:30 CEST, 17:30 in the UK.
RTS Sport will show the match live on rts.ch. Access outside Switzerland may be subject to territorial restrictions.
Serbia’s Jelena Cvetković will referee the match. Aleksandra Kostić and Dragana Tadić are the assistant referees, with Milica Milovanović the fourth official.
The second leg will take place at the Stade de Genève on Wednesday 2 September at 18:45 CEST.
