Liverpool punished Sparta in the second tie of their last-16 matchday which was a continuation of their sweeping 5:1 win in Prague in the first leg. The Reds got off to a flying start and the first half of the second match saw them score four times during the initial 14 minutes. For Liverpool, Darwin Nunez, Bobby Clark, Mohamed Salah, and Cody Gakpo played as the main reasons behind their early onslaught.
First Half: Liverpool vs Sparta Praha
Nunez found the back of the net after a skilful cross from Szoboszlai in the 7th minute, the first to score on the day. While the ball was already flying in Sparta’s half due to a defensive breakdown from one of their players, Salah sent a pass to Clark, who simply beat Vindahl’s grab. Liverpool’s continued high pressing led to Sparta’s collapse – with Salah scoring his 20th goal of the season in as little as 2 more minutes. The veteran Egyptian executed a perfectly crafted move to score a goal, securing his place as the only player in the team’s history to score seven seasons in a row.
And with no sign of the Reds relinquishing their superiority, Salah again proved to be the provider of yet another accurate cross from the right, with Gakpo finishing with perfection, putting the score at 4-0 in less than 14 minutes.
Yet, in vain Sparta tried to stem the outflow of the waves, however they could not stop Liverpool’s attacking power. In continuation of Nunez, Gakpo, and Salah’s undiluted performance against the visitors’ defence, Nunez almost scored a goal only for Vindahl to protect his teammate Clark who had shot a powerful strike.
Sparta briefly held some hopes as Angelo Preciado’s prudent pass found Veljko Birmancevic who delayed the defensive lapses to score in an empty net thereby cutting the score to 4-1. Klopp made three changes at halftime by introducing James McConnell, Kostas Tsimikas, and Harvey Elliot with the replacements of Nunez, Joe and Endo.
Second Half: Liverpool vs Sparta Praha
Liverpool continued their attacking play after the team had left the field, with Salah remaining the main architect of their possession. Szoboszlai had the luxury of being freed up by the Egyptian’s assist for a glide into the penalty area which saw him fire off a deflected shot past Vindahl and increase Liverpool’s lead to 5-1.
Shots taken from a distance by Elliott found their way to reach the goal, two of which were diverted by Gakpo for his brace and Liverpool to take the 6th goal of the night.
Klopp substituted Virgil van Dijk, the captain, for Jarell Quansah and this move added to Sparta’s dismay as Liverpool tried to press on through their defence lines. Gakpo could have scored another goal but Vindahl saved his shot after a perfect pass from Elliott on the other end.
Liverpool’s attacking potency and impressive defensive organization, demonstrated by the 6-1 victory and 11-2 aggregate score was a testament to their overall performances in the European stage. As the squad awaits the draw for the quarter-finals, their dominant display against Sparta shows their domination on the European stage.
