Preview: Servette vs Viktoria Plzen - prediction, team news, lineups

Viktoria Plzen will travel to Geneva to face Servette looking to overturn a first-leg deficit in their Champions League Second Qualifying Round tie on Wednesday night.

It has been a disappointing week for the Czech side, losing the first leg at home despite entering the game as favourites, before dropping points late on in the league at the weekend.

Match preview

Samuel Mraz’s strike is all that separates the two sides at the halfway point of this wide-open qualifying tie, with Servette now fancied to progress given their home advantage this week.

Servette were handed two horror draws in qualifying for Europe last season, as they were beaten by Braga in the Europa League, before dropping down into the Conference League and facing eventual winners Chelsea.

The path this time around looks a little more comfortable for Servette, with Rangers or Panathinaikos awaiting the winner, but should the Swiss side progress here, they will be guaranteed a spot in the league phase of the Conference League at the very worst.

That will see Servette play continental football in the autumn after missing out last season, but when they got all the way to the last 16 of the Conference League in 2023-24, it was Plzen who knocked them out on penalties after two goalless draws.

The story of the first leg suggests the task is nowhere near complete though, because Plzen will feel they should have taken something from the clash at the Doosan Arena.

Plzen outshot Servette 23 to 7, and amassed an xG of 2.00, compared to Servette’s 0.34, so a performance at a similar level, with a more ruthless edge, could see Miroslav Koubek’s men turn the tie on its head.

However, after starting their domestic campaign with a 5-1 win at Pardubice, Plzen dropped two points in the fifth minute of added time at home to Jablonec at the weekend, drawing 1-1.

That is not the ideal preparation for a side who have reached the Champions League on four separate occasions over the last decade or so, and have played autumn football in each of the last three seasons.

Plzen reached the last 16 of the Europa League earlier this year, after being quarter-finalists in the Conference League a year earlier, so it would be something of a shock if they were to fail, not just here, but in qualifying as a whole.

Servette Champions League form:

Servette form (all competitions):

W L

Viktoria Plzen Champions League form:

Viktoria Plzen form (all competitions):

W L D

Team News

Mraz’s arrival from Motor Lublin could be a great piece of business for Servette, as he netted 16 Ekstraklasa goals last season, before moving here on a free transfer, scoring his first for the club last week.

Club icon Miroslav Stevanovic will be the key man in attack for Servette though, starting his ninth season at the club during a spell where he regularly hits double figures for both goals and assists.

However, manager Thomas Haberli will be without injured duo David Douline and Lamine Fomba, the latter of which has only just signed for the club this month.

Plzen have kept much of their squad together from the one that came second in Czechia and were impressive in the Europa League, but they will need to call on that experience to dig themselves out of a hole here.

Tomas Ladra has been one of the few arrivals this summer, and he has made a positive start, registering two assists against Pardubice from midfield, before being one of their better performers in the first leg.

On the injury list, Plzen will be without Lukas Hejda and Cheick Soumare for this trip over to Switzerland on Wednesday night.

Servette possible starting lineup:

Mall; Magnin, Rouiller, Severin, Mazikou; Cognat, Baron, Antunes; Stevanovic, Mraz, Ouattara

Viktoria Plzen possible starting lineup:

Jedlicka; Dweh, Markovic, Jemelka; Memic, Ladra, Cerv, Spacil; Sulc, Durosinmi, Vydra

We say: Servette 1-1 Viktoria Plzen

Plzen have it all to do on the road after losing the first leg, and after a performance that yielded many chances in that defeat, the tie is still far from over, but Servette will fancy their chances of seeing it out.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.