Liverpool smash Sparta

Photo: Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

Liverpool emphatically destroy Sparta Prague 5-1 away from home in Europa League

Sparta Prague’s home record this season before meeting Liverpool in the last 16 of the Europa League has been very impressive. They have not lost a league game at home all season and currently sit top of the table in their domestic league. They were also unbeaten in the Europa League at home with five home wins and a 0-0 draw against Glasgow Rangers.

The 18,000 capacity Epet Arena was full and rocking on a chilly night in Prague. Sparta started off like they meant business. However a short pass at the back and Alexis MacAllister was on to it like a light before being taken down in the box after just seven minutes on the clock. The Argentinean got up to take the penalty and sent the keeper the wrong way to make it 1-0 to Liverpool.

As much as Prague huffed and puffed throughout the first half they never really recovered from that early set back. Kelleher did make a great reflex save and Gomez also cleared off the line. But once Nunez hit it from 20 yards out in the 25th minute to make it 2-0 the tie was over. In the 3rd minute of injury time just before the half time whistle, he hit another shot from outside the box to make it 3-0.

Just at the start of the second half Prague managed to get a goal back through a Conor Bradley own goal. But it made no real difference. Diaz went up the other end and made it 4-1 with a shot that got a bit of a deflection in the 53rd minute.

Szoboszlai put the icing on the cake in the 94th to make it 5-1 to Liverpool to really make sure they are in the draw for the last eight of the Europa League, despite the second leg still to come.