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Spartak Moscow will host Legia Warsaw at the Otkrytiye Arena in their opening game of the UEFA Europa League on Wednesday.
The home side secured their spot in the competition following their elimination from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers by Benfica. Legia Warsaw progressed with a 4-3 aggregate victory over Slavia Prague in the Europa League playoff stage.
Spartak Moscow come into the game on the back of a 3-1 victory over Khimki in the Russian Premier League on Saturday. Ayrton, Quincy Promes and Ezequiel Ponce all got on the scoresheet for the Red-and-Whites.
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The visitors suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Slack Wroclaw on Saturday. Victor Garcia scored the match-winner six minutes from time.
Both sides have been grouped in one of the toughest groups in the competition, with Leicester City and Napoli making up the remaining teams in Group C.
Spartak Moscow vs Legia Warsaw Head-to-Head
The two sides have met on four previous occasions across the Europa League and UEFA Champions League.
Their first meeting came in the group stage of the 1995-96 UEFA Champions League, when Spartak Moscow won both legs with a 3-1 aggregate victory.
They also traded tackles in the playoff stage for the Europa League in 2011, when Legia Warsaw progressed with a 5-4 aggregate victory.
Spartak Moscow form guide (all competitions): W-L-D-W-L
Legia Warsaw form guide (all competitions): L-L-W-D-W
Spartak Moscow vs Legia Warsaw Team News
Spartak Moscow
Georgi Melkadze (muscle), Pavel Maslov (tendon) and Aleksandr Selikhov (finger) will all miss the game due to fitness issues. There are no suspension worries for the hosts.
Injuries: Georgi Melkadze, Pavel Maslov, Aleksandr Selikhov
Suspension: None
Legia Warsaw
Bartosz Kapustka is the only injury concern for the visitors. There are no suspension worries for the Polish champions.
Injury: Bartosz Kapustka
Suspension: None
Spartak Moscow vs Legia Warsaw Predicted XI
Spartak Moscow Predicted XI (3-4-3): Aleksandr Maksimenko (GK); Georgiy Dzhikiya, Samuel Gigot, Nikolai Rasskazov; Ayron, Roman Zobnin, Nail Umyarov, Victor Moses; Ezequiel Ponce, Quincy Promes, Alexander Sobolev
Legia Warsaw Predicted XI (3-4-3): Artur Boruc (GK); Maik Nawrocki, Mateusz Wieteska, Artur Jedrzejczyk; Victor Garcia, Szymon Lewkot, Kryzsttof Maczynski, Bartlomiej Pawlowski; Petr Schwarz, Robert Pich, Erik Exposito
Spartak Moscow vs Legia Warsaw Prediction
Both sides are outsiders to progress from the group and the two legs against one another offer their best opportunity to pick up points.
Although one side could nick this one, we are predicting a share of the spoils with goals at both ends.
Prediction: Spartak Moscow 1-1 Legia Warsaw
