Liverpool cruise into Europa League quarter-finals with thrashing of Sparta Prague (2024)

"It's the first time I've ever told a player to stop defending." 😅

Jürgen Klopp reveals the conversation he had with Mohamed Salah, after being forced to keep him on for the full 90 minutes, in his return to the starting XI 👀

🎙 @DannyJamieson | #UEL pic.twitter.com/7xK7K7Y1bN

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

"That's the plan." 👀

Conor Bradley is dreaming of a quadruple-winning send-off for Jürgen Klopp 👋🏆

🎙 @msmith850 | @rach_brown1 | #UEL pic.twitter.com/VR4fYxFjmj

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

🏆 Carabao Cup winners
🏆 Europa League quarter-finals
🏆 FA Cup quarter-finals
👀 2nd in the Premier League

Jurgen Klopp's fairytale ending is still alive 🔴 pic.twitter.com/3o3LKMjbWr

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

Salah with three assists and a goal tonight 🤩 pic.twitter.com/1Bj2effT09

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

Jürgen Klopp 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗦 𝗜𝗧 🤩👊#UEL pic.twitter.com/qBxhVT9oTw

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

Brighton’s European run is over. They have beaten Roma 1-0 tonight on the south coast but that heavy 4-0 defeat in Rome was so costly. Atalanta are through, beating Sporting 3-2 on aggregate. In Germany Bayer Leverkusen have scored twice in added time to turn it around and win against Qarabag. They were 2-0 down last week and came back to draw 2-2. Tonight they were 2-0 again but have come back to win 3-2 on the night and 5-4 on aggregate. Xabi Alonso’s side continue their unbeaten season.

Liverpool players aged 21 or younger who have scored their first senior goal for the club this season:

Conor Bradley (20 y/o)
Jarell Quansah (21 y/o)
Jayden Danns (18/yo)
Lewis Koumas (18 y/o)
Bobby Clark (19 y/o)

Klopp's youngsters 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Baug4vWbse

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

Gakpo has one last attempt at the hat-trick saved by Vindahl and that is it at Anfield. Liverpool smash Sparta 6-1 on the night, 11-2 on aggregate. Liverpool absolutely flying into the quarter-finals.

Into the #UEL last eight ✊ pic.twitter.com/sOCO3VFaOh

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

FT: Liverpool 6-1 Sparta Prague (11-2 agg)

Jürgen Klopp's side progress to the #UEL quarter-finals in emphatic fashion 😮‍💨 pic.twitter.com/w0iLDuhMrK

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

Gakpo thinks he has his first Liverpool hat-trick but the offside flag is up. Salah finds him with a terrific pass to the back post but Gakpo was offside. We are into one minute of added time.

Liverpool have a corner after Szoboszlai’s corner is headed behind. Tsimikas will take from the left in front of The Kop. His corner is headed away.

Elliott should score there. Liverpool have so many men in the Sparta box but Elliott goes for goal himself. He should bury it but Vindahl gets down well to his right to make the save.

McConnell attempts an audacious strike from a long way out which sails high and wide. When you are 11-2 up on aggregate you have complete license to shoot from anywhere.

There are three other Europa League last-16 ties ongoing. Brighton lead Roma 1-0 on the night but trail 4-1 on aggregate. Atalanta lead Sporting 3-2 on aggregate and Bayer Leverkusen are 4-3 down on aggregate against Qarabag.

Gakpo nearly has his hat-trick this time. Elliott finds Gakpo on the right-hand side of the box and the Dutchman’s effort at the near post is well-saved by Vindahl.

Liverpool are going to make their final change as young Polish winger Musialowski is going to come on for his debut. It looks like the plan was for Salah to come off but with Clark struggling he is going to be the man coming off. A memorable night for Clark, scoring his first senior goal.

Preciado attempts the most outrageous of bicycle kicks from around 25 yards out and it goes well, well wide.

Gakpo should have his hat-trick. Elliott finds the Dutchman with a good pass into the channel but, from inside the box, Gakpo lifts his effort too high and it misses the target. He will be disappointed with himself there.

Quansah is booked and so is Jurgen Klopp, who wanted to make a substitution after a free-kick just before Quansah is booked. That is Quansah’s last act as he is replaced by Virgil van Dijk. A little surprising to say the least that van Dijk is coming on with Liverpool 11-2 up on aggregate.

Double change for Sparta as Kutcha is replaced by Haraslin and Laci comes off for Sadilek.

Liverpool have their sixth on the night and 11th on aggregate. Vindahl punches Tsimikas’ corner out to Bradley, who lays it off to Elliott just outside the box. Elliott hits it first time and Gakpo flicks it on past Vindahl for his second goal of the night.

GAKPO GETS HIS SECOND!!! pic.twitter.com/dXVOlBxZSq

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

A lovely flick from Cody Gakpo for Liverpool's sixth 💫#UEL pic.twitter.com/tLJAxugZD0

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

With Tsimikas replacing Gomez at half time, Liverpool’s captain of the night Robertson has shifted inside from left-back to centre-back.

He got Liverpool’s fifth of the night last week in Prague and he does the same tonight at Anfield. On the right-hand touchline Salah feeds it inside to Szoboszlai first time. The Hungarian drives into the box and takes aim. With the aid of a deflection the ball flies past Vindahl and Liverpool’s aggregate lead is now 10-2.

SZOBOOOOO!!! pic.twitter.com/iyGuHAzJJa

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

Dominik Szoboszlai's deflected strike puts Liverpool 10-2 up on aggregate 🤯#UEL pic.twitter.com/G2cvD4Srag

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

We are back under way at Anfield. Jurgen Klopp is making a triple change at the break; Tsimikas, Elliott and McConnell come on for Gomez, Endo and Nunez. Klopp protecting them ahead of the weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final trip to Manchester United.

4⃣ goals in 7⃣ minutes 🙌 #UEL pic.twitter.com/pfen2fm3O1

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

The first player in our history to score 20+ goals in all competitions for seven successive seasons 🤯👑 pic.twitter.com/5y9RAT8SIB

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

There is no added time at the end of the first half and Liverpool lead 4-1 on the night, 9-2 on aggregate.

Goals from Nunez, Clark, Salah and Gakpo gives us the lead at the break 🙌 #UEL pic.twitter.com/iZGvmEuZkK

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

Sparta get a goal. Preciado plays it forward to Birmancevic, who beats Endo to it and places it past Kelleher into the far corner.

Nunez attempts an acrobatic effort after winning the ball inside the Sparta box, but his shot misses the target. When you are 4-0 up on the night and 9-1 ahead on aggregate, you can try anything and what a goal it would have been!

After Gomez heads away from a Sparta free-kick, it falls to Preciado just outside the Liverpool box. His effort misses the target by quite some way.

Clark, buoyed by his first senior goal, sends a stinging effort towards goal but Vindahl is on hand to make the save.

Salah finds Nunez in the right-hand channel of the Sparta box with a superb outside-of-the-foot pass. Vindahl gets out quickly from his goal and gets to it just before Nunez. Really good goalkeeping there.

How has he missed? Nunez has missed a sitter. Gakpo finds Salah at the far post, who hits it first time back across goal. Nunez has a simple chance but somehow misses the target.

Kuchta shoots from just outside the Liverpool penalty area but his effort does not trouble Kelleher’s left-hand upright.

Sparta have a free-kick near the right-hand touchline inside the Liverpool half. They will whip it into the Liverpool box. It is lifted in but has too much height on it and it is an easy catch for Kelleher, who tries to find Salah immediately but the Egyptian cannot quite gather the ball, which is very unlike him. It was a great ball forward by Kelleher, Alisson-esque.

After a sensational diagonal ball from Gomez finds Salah, the Egyptian lays it onto Szoboszlai. He nearly finds Nunez but it is intercepted and out for a Liverpool corner. Sparta are able to clear their lines.

Their team may be 9-1 down on aggregate but the travelling Sparta fans are showing great support to their team.

We are not even 15 minutes into the game and Liverpool lead 4-0 on the night, 9-1 on aggregate. Salah plays it first time into the centre of the box after receiving a pass from Nunez. Gakpo gets on the end of the ball across first and slots home. That was Gakpo’s 12th goal of the season.

CODY MAKES IT FOUR!!! pic.twitter.com/TZwYimWd4d

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

It is 3-0 inside the first 10 minutes. Once again Sparta lose the ball near the edge of their own box. Clark is the one who wins it high up and it comes to Salah, who curls it into the far corner. He becomes the first Liverpool player to score 20+ goals in all competitions in seven straight seasons. Incredible record for an incredible player.

SALAHHH!!! pic.twitter.com/uFVebXbPeD

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

Mo Salah becomes the 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐘𝐄𝐑 in Liverpool's history to score 20+ goals in seven consecutive seasons 🤯

Another record for the Egyptian King 👑 pic.twitter.com/JyvGuexTJ0

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 for Mohamed Salah 👏

He becomes the first player to score 20+ goals in all competitions in seven successive seasons for Liverpool 🔥#UEL pic.twitter.com/gQKYVjZCQm

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

Liverpool score again within a minute of their first. Salah dispossesses Sparta deep inside their own half and it falls into the path of Clark. He slots home to get his first senior Liverpool goal. What a moment for Bobby Clark!

YES, BOBBBYYYY!!! pic.twitter.com/WX8VU3lbwE

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

What a moment for Bobby Clark ❤️

Barely a minute after Darwin Núñez opened the scoring, the 19-year-old bags his first-ever goal in red 👏#UEL pic.twitter.com/5btGsNywbM

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

Liverpool lead 1-0 on the night and 6-1 on aggregate. Clark plays it out to Szoboszlai wide right. He cuts it across centrally to Nunez, who hits it first time into the bottom corner. He scored twice against Sparta last week and he has one already tonight.

DARWINNNNN!!! pic.twitter.com/blVBw9ZcpV

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

9 goals in his last 9 starts.

Darwin Nunez is one of the most in-form strikers in the world right now ✨ pic.twitter.com/86Wb4W35EG

— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 14, 2024

After a poor header from Sparta captain Krejcí, which was meant for his goalkeeper, Liverpool have their first corner of the night. They work it short but they end up back at the feet of Kelleher.

Sparta have the first corner of the night, in front of the Kop. Liverpool are able to clear their lines.

We are under way at Anfield.

Both sides have emerged from the tunnel and we are just moments away from kick off at Anfield.

Out for warm ups 😤 #UEL pic.twitter.com/PaWZPZcaRS

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

There have been four games that have just finished in the early window. West Ham cruised past Freiburg, winning 5-0 tonight (5-1 on aggregate). Rangers are out after losing 1-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate to Benfica. AC Milan have beaten Slavia Prague 7-3 on aggregate and Marseille are also through after overcoming Villareal 5-3 on aggregate.

💪😤 #acsparta | #UEL pic.twitter.com/ZeVVI1jbwy

— AC Sparta Praha (@ACSparta_CZ) March 14, 2024

🙌💙💛❤️🙌#acsparta | #UEL pic.twitter.com/tyXzPFRkDb

— AC Sparta Praha (@ACSparta_CZ) March 14, 2024

Due to Afcon and injury, Mohamed Salah has not started for Liverpool since the 4-2 victory over Newcastle in the league on 1 January. After coming off the bench in the first leg in Prague and against Manchester City on Sunday, he is back into the starting line-up.

Mo starts 💪🇪🇬 #UEL pic.twitter.com/lGxOJmmVD4

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

Inside the home dressing room 📽️🔴 #UEL pic.twitter.com/lihB4no6if

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

Evening, Reds 🙌 #UEL pic.twitter.com/0XBAX3t6vs

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024

1️⃣1️⃣ SESTAVA | V tomto složení nastoupíme do odvetného utkání proti Liverpoolu 👥 #acsparta pic.twitter.com/ILeip2J8HJ

— AC Sparta Praha (@ACSparta_CZ) March 14, 2024

How we line up against Sparta Prague 🫡 #UEL

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 14, 2024