Athletic Club’s Crucial Champions League Match in Prague

omidbasir- Athletic Club is set to play a critical match in Prague on Tuesday as they strive to secure their position in the Champions League. Currently, the team has achieved only one victory, necessitating points to maintain realistic chances of qualifying for the knockout stages in the remaining three matches. Their opponent, Slavia Prague, is lower in the standings, having garnered just two points compared to Athletic’s three, and they have previously faced each other last season in the Europa League. This Saturday, Slavia will defend their league lead at home against Bohemians.

Slavia’s coach, Jindřich Trpišovský, faces the challenge of missing two of his top three players in the upcoming match against Athletic due to injuries. Central defender Ogbu and midfielder Oscar are both sidelined. Ogbu, 25, is recovering from a muscle injury sustained on September 13, which has kept him out of play since then. His market value, according to Transfermarkt, is estimated at 10 million euros. Although he participated in earlier matches this season, he suffered a relapse in September.

Additionally, midfielder Oscar, who has appeared in 14 league games and three Champions League fixtures to date, remains unavailable. He is a regular in Trpišovský’s line-ups and missed the match against Viktoria Plzen prior to the international break. Consequently, the only player exceeding the 10 million euro market value who is fit to play against Athletic is midfielder Zafeiris. On loan from PAOK, Zafeiris has played 14 league matches, scoring three goals, and has featured in four Champions League games. His performance will be evaluated in December to determine his future for the rest of the season.