Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool: Player ratings as Reds put one foot in Europa League quarter-finals

Liverpool have one foot in the Europa League quarter-finals after making light work of Sparta Prague in the first leg of their last 16 tie in the Czech capital.

Jurgen Klopp saw fit to rest Virgil van Dijk from the start and not rush Mohamed Salah back into the lineup after his recent injury. But Alexis Mac Allister got the ball rolling inside six minutes from the penalty spot, with Darwin Nunez getting a brace before half-time.

Conor Bradley’s own goal with his first touch immediately after coming on at the break threatened to hand Sparta a lifeline, but Luis Diaz quickly restored the three-goal cushion and Dominik Szoboszlai made it 5-1 in the Reds’ favour in stoppage time at the end.

Ibrahima Konate’s night ending after just 50 minutes because of injury was an unfortunate blot.

How the game unfolded

Liverpool made a quick start as their European adventure resumed, with Mac Allister winning his own penalty after pressing Sparta defender Asger Sorensen high up receiving a pass from the goalkeeper. The Argentine pinched the ball and was caught, confidently converting from 12 yards moments later after the referee pointed to the spot.

Sparta had their own spell of ascendancy as the game developed and should have equalised when Caoimhin Kelleher reacted brilliantly to keep out Lukas Haraslin at the far post. Kelleher was less convincing a few minutes later when he flapped at a corner, but made up for it with another top save when Angelo Preciado headed back towards goal.

Nunez pulled out a rocket midway through the half to end that home pressure, Liverpool’s 1,000th goal under Klopp. The in-form Uruguayan made space for his shot by cutting inside Preciado on the inside left and unleashed a stunning 25 yarder that flew in beyond the reach of Peter Vindahl Jensen.

The Sparta goalkeeper twice denied Cody Gakpo in the closing stages of the first half, before Nunez’s second made it 3-0 in stoppage time going into the break. He ran onto Mac Allister’s lofted diagonal pass into space and simply put his foot through the bouncing ball from just inside the box.

Bradley might have thought he could have done better when inadvertently steering Veljko Birmancevic’s low right-wing cross into his own net as he tried to hook the ball away from danger, although it matter little given that only seven more minutes had passed by the time Diaz’s deflected effort near the penalty spot wrongfooted Vindahl Jensen. And Bradley was significantly involved in maneuvering the ball into the box to make up for his earlier mistake.

Gakpo was again denied by Vindahl Jensen just after the hour mark, with Kelleher also on hand to save from Birmancevic as substitutions from both sides began to break up the flow of the game. Szoboszlai shot straight at Vindahl Jensen, while the Hungarian later turned provide for Salah to put the ball in the net, but the would-be fifth for Liverpool was ruled out after a VAR check adjudged the Egyptian to have been in an offside position.

Szoboszlai had been unselfish in trying to tee up Salah but made no mistake in finishing himself to make it five at the death, latching onto Harvey Elliott’s deflected through ball.

Liverpool player ratings (4-3-3)

GK: Caoimhin Kelleher - 8/10 - Made a couple of important saves in the first half when Liverpool only led by one goal and continues to inspire confidence in those in front of him.

RB: Joe Gomez - 6/10 - A solid enough 45 minutes in his legs before Sunday.

CB: Ibrahima Konate - 6/10 - Liverpool fans will be praying his early exit was more precautionary than serious given that stage of the season.

CB: Jarell Quansah - 7/10 - Continues to prove himself in this Liverpool team.

LB: Andrew Robertson (c) - 7/10 - Captained the side with Van Dijk beginning on the bench. Led by example and got forward when the opportunity was there.

CM: Harvey Elliott - 7/10 - Involved in plenty of link up play and comes away with two assists, although he can hardly take credit for Nunez's first strike.

CM: Wataru Endo - 6/10 - Functional at the base of the midfield, giving others their platform.

CM: Alexis Mac Allister - 8/10 - Early pressing set the tone for Liverpool, resulting in the penalty that he scored himself. Assist for Nunez's second was excellent too.

RW: Cody Gakpo - 6/10 - Denied a few times by Sparta's goalkeeper and it just wasn't falling for him.

ST: Darwin Nunez - 9/10 - Took both of his goals like a player flying on confidence - and so he should be given that it's now 13 goal involvements in all competitions since Christmas.

LW: Luis Diaz - 7/10 - Typically busy and did well to score and restore the three-goal cushion.

Substitutes

SUB: Conor Bradley (46' for Gomez) - 6/10

SUB: Virgil van Dijk (50' for Konate) - 6/10

SUB: Dominik Szoboszlai (51' for Nunez) - 8/10

SUB: Bobby Clark (65' for Mac Allister) - 6/10

SUB: Mohamed Salah (74' for Diaz) - 6/10

Subs not used: Adrian (GK), Fabian Mrozek (GK), Kostas Tsimikas, Lewis Koumas, James McConnell, Kaide Gordon, Mateusz Musialowski

Manager

Jurgen Klopp - 9/10 - Wasted little time in withdrawing players once it was clear the game was settled, with one eye firmly on Sunday's Premier League clash with Manchester City.

Player of the match - Darwin Nunez (Liverpool)

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