Stuttgart were held to a 1-1 home draw by Sparta Prague in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Sparta midfielder Kaan Kairinen cancelled out an early opener from Enzo Millot.

His goal came against the run of play in the seventh minute, as Millot connected with an excellent lofted cross from Maximilian Mittelstadt to head home.

Sparta almost responded through Martin Vitik, who hit the post, but they had the goal they had been working towards when Kairinen expertly fired a free-kick into the top-right corner.

Midfielder Veljko Birmancevic had chances to put Sparta in front either side of the break, while Stuttgart had the upper hand throughout most of the second half but could not seal the three points.

It was a step in the right direction for Stuttgart in their first home Champions League game since the 2009-10 season, but they have just one point from their opening two matches, after losing to Real Madrid last time out.

Data Debrief: Free-shooting Millot gets his reward

Millot's goal came from one of his five attempts, which set the record for a Stuttgart player in a single Champions League match.

Of the 1.8 expected goals (xG) Stuttgart accumulated, Millot was responsible for 0.61.

Stuttgart ended up having 26 shots, 12 more than the visitors, and some 47 touches in the opposition box, but could not turn that dominance into a winner.

Sparta Prague enjoyed a fine return to the Champions League on Wednesday, recording a 3-0 win over Salzburg in their first game in Europe's top club competition in 19 years.

Sparta grabbed an early lead that set the tone for the league-phase opener at the Epet Arena as home fans celebrated their team's first win in the tournament since 2003.

The hosts opened the scoring just two minutes in when Kaan Kairinen pounced on a loose ball after a great save by Salzburg goalkeeper Janis Blaswich, effortlessly slotting home the rebound.

Victor Olantuji then doubled their lead in the 42nd minute, firing in from a tight angle after taking in a long ball over the top from captain Filip Panak.

Olantuji then turned provider as the hosts killed the game off just before the hour mark, assisting Qazim Laci for a coolly struck finish after a cheap giveaway from Salzburg.

Data Debrief: Long wait ends for Sparta

Sparta's victory, their first in the Champions League since beating Lazio 1-0 in December 2003, saw them halt a 14-game winless run in the competition (four draws, 10 losses).

It is also the first time they have ever started a Champions League campaign with a win, on their eighth appearance in the competition proper.

 

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