It would be an exaggeration to say that Liverpool started the match with murderous attacks, but the fact is that they pressed the first ten minutes in the field, almost not allowing the Czechs to have a ball. The dominance of the field quickly reached a goal, due to a mistake by Asger Sörensen Alexis Mac Allister he won a penalty and then calmly sold it (0–1).
Jürgen Klopp fielded a slightly changed starting line-up in Prague, with Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah in defense and Endo Vataru and Harvey Elliott in midfield. It is true that the group of Maród regulars have thoroughly tied the hands of the German manager. It is good news, however, that Dominik Szoboszlai, who returned after a month’s forced rest, and Mohamed Szalah, who resumed training this week, were also able to sit on the visitors’ bench.
Perhaps it can be attributed to the composition, perhaps also to the championship gold battle against Manchester City at the weekend, but aware of their advantage, Liverpool took a step back. So much so that the home team almost equalized after a quarter of an hour thanks to Lukas Haraslin. Caoimhin Kelleher made a brave save, and then Gomez was smart on the rebound and cleared from the throat of the goal. However, Sparta’s resurgence proved elusive before we could declare the game level, Darwin Núnez he doubled the visitors’ lead with a well-hit shot, and at the same time thoroughly reversed the momentum of the hosts (0–2).
Ten minutes before the break, the people of Prague turned it on again, again Haraslín’s shot was brilliantly saved by Kelleher, and then the Irish goalkeeper was lucky on the rebound, as Veljko Birmancevics shot from ten meters into the goal instead of the unprotected lower left corner. In the 40th minute, Haraslín threatened again, but even though he tricked the goalkeeper, the goal would not have been scored due to an offside shot – and he didn’t even score. However, Liverpool scored a goal this time as well, Núnez hit the goal with a classic move from 14 meters after a rebound (0–3). Based on the picture of the game, although a 2-1 away lead would have been more deserved, the game was essentially decided by halftime and the duel along with it.
After the turn, the beautification just came together, although the Czech player didn’t put it together either: he started 44 seconds earlier Conor Bradley bombed from seven meters into his own goal after Birmancsevic’s cross (1–3). For the Mersey-siders, the trouble came badly: Konate had to be replaced this time after a longer treatment. It’s a good sign that the French defender could at least leave the field on his own two feet. The former was replaced by Virgil van Dijk. Not long after, Dominik Szoboszlai also arrived – the captain of the Hungarian national team replaced Núnez.
However, the home fans could not enjoy the resurrection of their favorites too much this time either, after Elliott’s pass in the 53rd minute Luis Diaz his bouncing shot went in the opposite direction to the movement of the goalkeeper leaning to the right (1–4).
Szoboszlai also had a great opportunity in the first half, but in vain he took the ball well inside the penalty area, and then played a trick to clear himself, shooting into the goalkeeper’s hands from fourteen meters. Even if the goal hadn’t been scored, the 23-year-old Hungarian could have scored an assist, but Szalah, who also came on as a substitute, shot into the goal in vain. After the pass, the goal was revoked due to Gakpo’s position after a long videotaping, probably citing a technical offside. Let’s just leave it at that, seeing the replay, a more than hairy-hearted, very subjective decision was made…
Szoboszla however, he didn’t leave it at that and in the 94th minute, with Elliott’s start, pulled to the right in the front of the penalty area and shot with his right into the center of the goal – thereby creating the 5–1-es final result and effectively deciding the duel before the rematch.
That match will be played at Anfield Road next Thursday at 9 p.m. Hungarian time.
The prospect of Bundesliga gold came close to defeat
While Liverpool enforced the paper form, Bayer Leverkusen – who lead the Bundesliga by 10 points ahead of Bayern Munich – played out a 2-2 draw at home to Azeri Qarabag. The German league leaders came close to losing their season’s unbeaten run as they trailed by two goals at the break, but the Czech Republic’s Patrik Schick equalized in the 92nd minute.
Last year’s finalist AS Roma, on the other hand, continued to excel under the leadership of Daniele De Rossi, the head coach appointed in mid-January: the Wolves beat Brighton 4-0. The world champion as a player achieved his eighth success in his tenth match with a professional, with a draw and a defeat each.
FOOTBALL
EUROPEAN LEAGUE, EIGHT FINALS, 1ST MATCH
Sparta Praha (Czech Republic)-Liverpool FC (England) 1-5 (Bradley 46. – own goal, or Mac Allister 6. – from 11, Núnez 25., 45+3., Díaz 53., Szoboszlai 90+4.)
AS Roma (Italian)-Brighton (English) 4-0
Qarabag (Azerbaijan) – Bayer Leverkusen (Germany) 2-2
Played on Wednesday:
Sporting Lisboa (Portugal)-Atalanta (Italy) 1-1
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