Returning to Europa League duty, Liverpool make the taxing time out to Sparta Prague’s epet Arena for the first leg of their last-16 tie on Thursday evening.
While the Reds bypassed the knockout spherical playoffs via ending first in Group E, Brian Priske’s aspect had to pull off an amazing comeback towards Champions League drop-outs Galatasaray.
Two-legged victories in the 2023-24 Europa League was nothing new for Sparta Prague, who were sent packing by way of Copenhagen in the preliminary Champions League rounds and had to get rid of Dinamo Zagreb in the closing Europa League qualifying segment to even attain the crew stage.
Only two points separated Rangers, Sparta and Real Betis in Group C, the place the Czech Fortuna Liga champions settled for a runners-up end to set up a daunting date with Galatasaray, fresh from taking four factors from two Champions League affairs with Manchester United.
Priske’s guys did no longer revel in a memorable stopover in Turkey as they were bested 3-2 in the first leg, but with the reverse fixture tied at 1-1, a incredible 20-minute flurry noticed Sparta Prague make the net bulge on three events to seal a interesting 4-1 win on the night and a 6-4 mixture success.
Now bidding to attain the Europa League quarter-finals for just the second time below its current identify – their 2015-16 run ended at the palms of Villarreal in the final eight – Priske’s facet host Liverpool on the again of consecutive conferences with bitter foes Slavia Prague, whom they beat in greater time in the Czech Cup before a 0-0 draw in league action.
That drab stalemate used to be enough to hold the reigning champions 4 factors clear at the top of the Fortuna Liga standings, and not for the reason that their Champions League qualifying exit to Copenhagen in August have they been put to the sword at epet Arena, going unbeaten in 15 home games for the reason that then.
However, solely one of Sparta’s closing sixteen European clashes with English teams has viewed the Maroons come up trumps, and Liverpool arrive in the Czech Republic having already lifted one street curse this month, albeit in fairly contentious situations at Nottingham Forest’s City Ground.
Benefitting from an wrong drop-ball selection in accordance to the laws of the game, Jurgen Klopp’s unit accomplished their first-ever Premier League win away to the Tricky Trees courtesy of their state-of-the-art winning intention on document in the competition – scored through Darwin Nunez in the 99th minute – to stay in control of their quadruple destiny.
Still one point clear of Manchester City after finding themselves on the proper aspect of that controversial call, Liverpool – who have already been crowned EFL Cup winners and additionally have an FA Cup quarter-final with Manchester United to seem forward to – resume their Europa League adventure on the lower back of pipping Toulouse, Union SG and LASK Linz to first place in Group E as expected.
The Merseyside giants did no longer blow the competition to smithereens as one may also have assumed, though – suffering away losses to Toulouse and Union SG – and they have strikingly failed to win any of their final 11 Europa League knockout video games away from home; now-defunct Romanian club Unirea Urziceni have been their last such victims in 2009-10.
A six-game triumphing run in all competitions stands Liverpool in right stead, even though – even if their harm listing suggests otherwise – however on their only preceding go to to Sparta territory in the 2010-11 closing 32, the Reds were stunted in a goalless stalemate.
Sparta Prague viable starting lineup:
Vindahl; Vitik, Krejci, Sorensen; Preciado, Kairinen, Laci, Rynes; Birmancevic, Kuchta, Haraslin
Liverpool viable starting lineup:
Kelleher; Gomez, Quansah, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; McConnell, Endo, Szoboszlai; Elliott, Gakpo, Koumas
