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In the opening match of the tournament, Finnish striker Kristian Vesalainen, who came to the Prague club from Hämeenlinna and joined the team directly in Switzerland, made his debut in Sparta’s jersey. The people of Prague managed to score in the final period, when Pavel Kousal and Michael Špaček made their mark.
The winners of the three-man groups will secure direct progress to the semi-finals, while the remaining teams face the quarter-finals on Monday. The ninety-seventh year of the traditional tournament culminates on New Year’s Eve. In their last participation three years ago, Sparta made it to the finals, where they lost to Ambri-Piotta after separate raids.
