Sparta Prague vs Liverpool LIVE: Europa League result and reaction as Reds score five in last-16 first leg
Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool: The Red ran riot away from home and have one foot in the next round
Liverpool got their Europa League knockout rounds off to a fabulous start by hammering Sparta Prague 4-1 away from home in the first leg of their last-16 tie.
Despite a looming Premier League clash against Manchester City, Jurgen Klopp named strong starting line-up and was rewarded immediately as Alexis Mac Allister won and converted a penalty inside the first six minutes.
Sparta almost responded through Lukas Haraslin but Caoimhin Kelleher proved to be a strong deputy for Alisson Becker making the first of a series of solid saves throughout the night.
Darwin Nunez then curled home a beautifully long-ranged effort halfway through the first half before a guided finish on the stroke of half-time from the Uruguayan brought Liverpool a third.
The hosts did earn a deserved goal straight after the restart. Veljko Birmancevic nipped in behind on the right side and forced a back-tracking Conor Bradley to turn the ball into his own net.
Liverpool got the last word though as Luis Diaz’s deflected shot hit the back of the net and Dominik Szoboszlai scored late in stoppage time to ensure they bring a big cushion back to Anfield for the second leg next week.
Relive the action from the Europa League in the blog below and get the latest odds and tips here:
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
Mohamed Salah has scored 45 goals in 72 European appearances for Liverpool and has scored three goals in 182 minutes of Europa League action this season.
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott were the only players to start all six group games for Liverpool, with Darwin Nunez and Joe Gomez also appearing in all six.
The Reds have used 27 different players in the competition so far this season. Only Elliott has played every minute of the Europa League campaign so far.
Alexis Mac Allister on facing Sparta Prague
“We know that they are unbeaten at home, top of the league, and that tells you that they are a very good team. Of course, we have seen some videos and we know what they do, but we need to focus on ourselves.
“If we focus on ourselves, we have a chance to win this game and that’s what we want. But they are definitely a very good team and it’ll be a great battle.”
Jordan Henderson hopes Jurgen Klopp has a ‘fairytale’ ending at Liverpool
Jordan Henderson hopes former manager Jurgen Klopp can enjoy a “fairytale” ending at Liverpool.
The German announced his plan to leave the Reds at the end of the season at the start of 2024, bringing to an end a successful nine-year stint.
Henderson, who left Anfield in the summer for a controversial move to Saudi Arabia, was a massive part of Klopp’s success at Anfield, winning eight trophies, including the Champions League and Premier League.
Jordan Henderson hopes Jurgen Klopp has a ‘fairytale’ ending at Liverpool
Henderson won eight trophies during his 12 seasons at Anfield.
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
Sparta Prague overturned a 3-2 first-leg defeat in Turkey with a 4-1 victory at Stadion Letná in the second leg against Galatasaray to progress to the round of 16 for the first time since 2015/16.
How will they fare against Liverpool tonight?
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
Liverpool are aiming to reach the quarter-finals of a European competition for the 28th time in their history.
They’ll be hoping to take something back to Anfield for the second and anything other than a big loss will be a decent result as they’ll back themselves to perform at home.
Mac Allister on ‘amazing time’ with Liverpool
“The last couple of years have been crazy for me and tough at the same time,” he said. “I went through difficult times and even in those times I really believed in myself and that was very important, and to have my family around as well.
“Yes, of course, I won a World Cup and that is not easy and something I feel very proud of. Now I am living my life in a club like Liverpool, it is amazing.
“Every player and every person has to go through good and bad moments. Now I am at a time where I am really enjoying my life, so I am very, very happy with my career so far and I am enjoying it.”
Thiago Alcantara almost made Liverpool immortal – but leaves as a rare transfer failure
Not all departures from Anfield this summer will come with fanfare. If one long goodbye is being conducted in public, another is occurring in the shadows.
Jurgen Klopp admitted last week that Thiago Alcantara’s season could be over; given the midfielder’s unfortunate habit of injury setbacks, there should be little optimism that he can make a swifter-than-expected return from a muscle problem.
While Klopp’s valedictory campaign at Anfield may bring four trophies, Thiago Alcantara’s has yielded five minutes on the pitch. Even that came in defeat.
Thiago almost made Liverpool immortal – but leaves as a rare transfer failure
The Reds’ midfielder was a star at Bayern Munich but injuries have limited his Anfield impact
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool line-ups
Sparta Prague XI: Vindahl, Sorensen, Vitik, Krejci, Preciado, Solbakken, Kairinen, Zeleny, Birmancevic, Kuchta, Haraslin
Liverpool XI: Kelleher, Gomez, Quansah, Konate, Robertson, Elliott, Endo, Mac Allister, Nunez, Gakpo, Diaz
Sparta Prague vs Liverpool
This is the fourth occasion that Liverpool have qualified as group winners in the Europa League, along with 2010/11, 2012/13 and 2015/16.
Since it was rebranded as the Europa League in 2009, Liverpool have never gone on to win the trophy. They have won the old Uefa Cup three times with their last such victory coming in 2001.
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