Sparta will line up in their usual 4-2-3-1, with the double pivot of Roman Macek and Andy Irving shielding a back four that has looked solid but not spectacular. Adam Karabec pulls the strings in the hole, and Jonatan Braut Brunes leads the line — he's the kind of striker who feeds on half-chances, and in a derby, half-chances are gold. Sparta's coach has already said they won't sit back — they'll want the ball, they'll push forward, but they'll do it with discipline. The full-backs will be told to stay home more than usual; this is not the night for gung-ho overlaps.

Slavia will mirror that 4-2-3-1 shape, and that's where the game gets interesting. Two teams playing the same system, both with quality in the final third, both with a midfield that can go toe-to-toe. The battle will be won in the middle of the park — whoever controls the second balls, whoever wins the duels in the centre circle, will dictate the tempo. Slavia's wide players will look to isolate Sparta's full-backs, but Sparta's double pivot will drop in to help. It's going to be a chess match, not a basketball game. Set pieces could be the difference — both teams are dangerous from dead balls, and in a derby, a corner can be as good as a penalty.