Liverpool cruise into Europa League quarter-finals after 6-1 thrashing

As Liverpool gamers queued up and took turns to hammer the ball into Sparta Prague’s purpose, a sigh of aid from Pep Guardiola might nearly be heard coming from Manchester. 

As for Erik ten Hag throughout the town, he would have been hiding behind the couch fearing one other drubbing.

Jurgen Klopp’s males obliterated their Czech counterparts with a cruel show that made the Treble winners’ level right here final Sunday look extremely beneficial. Liverpool now go to bitter rivals United on Sunday and, on this manner, Old Trafford might see a untimely demolition job.

Let’s hope for Ten Hag’s sake that he didn’t tune in for the primary quarter-hour, when Liverpool led 4-0 after a flurry of objectives from Darwin Nunez, Mohamed Salah, Bobby Clark and Cody Gakpo.

There had been extra possibilities for the Kindergarten Kop, whose newest graduate Mateusz Musialowski made his first-team debut, and 19-year-old Clark netted his first purpose in Liverpool colors — even when the stadium announcer confused him with dad Lee when studying out the beginning XIs.

Liverpool booked their place within the Europa League quarter-finals after thrashing Czech aspect Sparta Prague 6-1

Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez opened the scoring at Anfield adrer simply seven minutes

Reds teenager Bobby Clark scored his first senior purpose for the membership after doubling Liverpool’s lead

But the night time belonged to Salah. He took his purpose tally for the season previous 20 for the seventh straight marketing campaign — one thing no Liverpool participant has ever executed — and claimed a hat-trick of assists on his first begin since New Year’s Day.

The scoreline makes this appear to be one of many shows of the season and credit score is in fact due, however Sparta had been horrific. 

The gulf at school was clear as Liverpool carved by way of the Czech workforce’s defence relaxed. The second and third objectives had been immediately of Sparta’s personal doing, Salah and Clark taking turns to steal possession and feed the opposite for a tap-in.

Nunez had earlier fired Liverpool forward with a robust near-post end after canny work from Dominik Szoboszlai. 

Nunez was enjoying in his forty seventh recreation of a marathon season and is in advantageous scoring type, although he nonetheless managed a customary howler later as he fired extensive from 5 yards.

Dominik Szoboszlai added Liverpool’s fifth purpose firstly of the second half within the routine win

This was an evening to construct what Klopp calls ‘rhythm’, plus health and confidence, and that was the case for Salah, with the Egyptian teeing up Gakpo to finish a five-match goalless streak for the Dutchman.

Liverpool eased off barely and allowed Sparta to drag one again by way of Veljko Birmancevic late within the first half, which despatched the travelling followers into frenzy, whether or not sarcastically or not. The comeback was on.

Of course even probably the most optimistic of Sparta followers, who by no means stopped singing and dancing within the Anfield Road End, knew that was not the case, and Szoboszlai took Liverpool’s tally for the tie into double figures early within the second half with a shot that deflected in off Ladislav Krejci.

From there Liverpool’s gamers had been queueing as much as get in on the act, with half-time substitute Harvey Elliott curling in a finessed end from distance that might have been the strike of the night time, if Gakpo had not nicked the ultimate contact and claimed the purpose.