Slavia Prague are next up for us in the Champions League, whose exploits in the Czech league over the past decade have seen them firmly establish themselves as one of their nation’s best teams.

The reigning Czech champions will hope to secure their first win against us at the fifth attempt, but if you’re unsure of their history, current stars or our previous encounters, then here is the rundown on our matchday four opponents:

The history

Slavia were founded in 1892 and would enjoy a quarter of a century of dominance under the management of Scot Johnny Madden, where they won 12 of the first 19 Czech titles. A 13th would arrive in 1947, but then the club fell on hard times and suffered relegation twice in the 1960s as they struggled to recapture their former glory.

It wouldn’t be until after the Czech Republic’s independence in 1993 that Slavia began to fight for titles again, and after a 49-year wait, they finally became champions again in 1996, helped by the performances of Karel Poborsky and Vladimir Smicer. They have since become the second-most successful team in the country since it was reformed, winning seven more league titles,...