Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp acknowledges the strong performance from Sparta Praha despite scoring five goals in the Europa League victory
Jurgen Klopp humbly appreciated the overall performance of Sparta Praha despite Liverpool scoring five goals in the Europa League game. The Reds beat Sparta 1-5 in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 away at Epet Arena.
Liverpool started strongly after Alexis Mac Allister earned a penalty when he counter-pressed Sparta’s defender to make a costly mistake. Mac Allister scored the penalty goal in the seventh minute to give the visitors an important lead.
Sparta used counter-attacking football to exploit the gaps that the Reds’ defence left while keeping the high line. In the 15th minute, they unleashed an impressive counter-attack leading to a shot from Lukas Haraslin, stopped by Caoimhin Kelleher. Joe Gomez made a goal-line clearance to keep the hosts at bay after the impressive save from the Liverpool goalkeeper.
Later, Darwin Nunez added the second goal in the 25th minute after scoring a stunning finish from 30 yards. The Uruguayan forward added the third goal in the first half’s extra time to secure a strong 3-0 lead.
The Czech club scored the goal in the second half after Liverpool’s Conor Bradley accidentally hit an own goal. Nevertheless, the Reds added two more goals before the final whistle to have a formidable four-goal advantage.
Speaking at his post-match press conference (h/t Liverpoolfc.com), Klopp praised the performance from Sparta despite the terrible result. He said:
“Yeah. So, the result is much better than the performance, that’s true. Sparta played a good game; Sparta took some risks in our possession, they [were] hiding wingers slightly [and] our protection was not good, so they could create these counter-attacks. We lost a few unnecessary balls, which is then difficult to protect, but in other moments we should have done better.”
Jürgen Klopp is relishing being involved in a contest with the magnitude of our game against Manchester City on Sunday
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) March 8, 2024
Liverpool will play the second leg of the Europa League round of 16 on 15th March after playing Manchester City. The Reds are currently at the top of the Premier League and the game would shape the title chase.
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Despite the fantastic result, the Reds need to be at their best against the Citizens and reduce the number of chances they gave. Klopp’s side is still suffering from the injury crisis but the return of Mohamed Salah is a major boost.
