Liverpool can hardly avoid a place in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. The team of German coach Jürgen Klopp, who is leaving at the end of this season, won comfortably once morest Sparta Prague in the Czech Republic: 1-5. Liverpool did not play with the strongest formation in view of next Sunday’s top match in the Premier League once morest Manchester City.
Sparta Prague had a number of good chances before half time, but Liverpool were much more efficient. Alexis Mac Allister converted a penalty in the sixth minute. Halfway through the second half, Darwin Núñez doubled the lead. The Uruguayan, who saved Liverpool last weekend with a late goal once morest Nottingham Forest, scored a nice shot from outside the box: 0-2. Núñez was accurate for a second time in injury time of the first half.
Sparta Prague briefly got some hope at the start of the second half when Northern Irishman Conor Bradley, who came on for Liverpool, kicked the ball behind his own goalkeeper (1-3). Liverpool then struck quickly once more through Luis Díaz. Mohamed Salah, who was recovering from an injury and came on as a substitute, saw a goal disallowed for offside in the 84th minute. Dominik Szoboszlai did score in injury time: 1-5.
Cody Gakpo had a starting place at Liverpool, Virgil van Dijk came on in the 50th minute to replace Ibrahima Konaté.
The second match in Liverpool is in a week.
Source: ANP
