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Liverpool, who have already won the EFL Cup, remain on course for a Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup quadrupleLiverpool will go into Sunday's huge Premier League game with Manchester City on the back of a seventh straight win after taking control of their Europa League last-16 tie against Sparta Prague.
The Reds were at their ruthless best in the first leg, scoring three goals before half-time to silence the home fans on a chaotic night in the Czech Republic capital.
They took the lead through Alexis Mac Allister's sixth-minute penalty after the Argentina World Cup winner had been fouled by Asger Sorensen.
Darwin Nunez's wonderful dipping finish from outside the penalty area doubled the lead - Liverpool's 1,000th goal under boss Jurgen Klopp - before the Uruguay forward's 16th club goal of the season, a fierce shot from the edge of the box, made it 3-0 in first-half added time.
Despite the handsome margin, Liverpool were thankful for Caoimhin Kelleher who once again underlined his importance to the team in the absence of injured first-choice keeper Alisson Becker.
Kelleher made a string of crucial saves including one at 1-0 when he took the sting out of Lukas Haraslin's shot which saw the ball spin towards the net before Joe Gomez hooked it off the line.
Sparta Prague reduced the deficit when Reds substitute Conor Bradley scored an own goal with his first touch in the 46th minute while trying to make a clearance, only for Luis Diaz to restore his side's three-goal advantage with a deflected finish seven minutes later.
Substitute Dominik Szoboszlai scored the fifth goal with virtually the last kick.
Liverpool, who saw Mohamed Salah return from a hamstring injury as a 74th-minute substitute and have a goal ruled out for offside, will be confident of finishing the job and advancing to the quarter-finals when the teams meet for the second leg at Anfield on 14 March (20:00 GMT).
Before that, Klopp's men host defending champions Manchester City in a first-versus-second showdown at Anfield.
But it remains to be seen whether Ibrahima Konate, who has been in fine form lately, will feature. The France defender was replaced soon after going down hurt in the second half, while Gomez did not show for the second half either.
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Sparta Prague
Squad number1Player nameVindahl
Squad number41Player nameVitík
Squad number25Player nameSørensen
Squad number37Player nameKrejcí
Squad number2Player namePreciado
Squad number4Player nameSolbakken
Squad number6Player nameKairinen
Squad number30Player nameZeleny
Squad number14Player nameBirmancevic
Squad number9Player nameKuchta
Squad number22Player nameHaraslín
Squad number7Player nameOlatunji
Squad number10Player nameKarabec
Squad number11Player nameTuci
Squad number20Player nameLaçi
Squad number32Player nameRynes
Liverpool
Squad number62Player nameKelleher
Squad number2Player nameGomez- Squad number5Player nameKonaté
- Squad number78Player nameQuansah
Squad number26Player nameRobertson- Squad number19Player nameElliott
- Squad number3Player nameEndo
- Squad number10Player nameMac Allister
- Squad number18Player nameGakpo
- Squad number9Player nameNúñez
- Squad number7Player nameDíaz
Squad number4Player namevan Dijk- Squad number8Player nameSzoboszlai
Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah- Squad number42Player nameClark
- Squad number84Player nameBradley
Line-ups
Sparta Prague
Formation 3-4-3
- 1Vindahl
- 41Vitík
- 25SørensenSubstituted forRynesat 43'minutes
- 37KrejcíBooked at 62mins
- 2Preciado
- 4Solbakken
- 6KairinenSubstituted forKarabecat 74'minutes
- 30ZelenyBooked at 73mins
- 14BirmancevicSubstituted forTuciat 74'minutes
- 9KuchtaSubstituted forOlatunjiat 74'minutes
- 22HaraslínSubstituted forLaçiat 65'minutes
Substitutes
- 7Olatunji
- 10Karabec
- 11Tuci
- 18Sadílek
- 19Mejdr
- 20Laçi
- 24Vorel
- 26Vydra
- 28Wiesner
- 29Sevcík
- 32Rynes
- 44Surovcík
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 62Kelleher
- 2GomezSubstituted forBradleyat 45'minutes
- 5KonatéSubstituted forvan Dijkat 50'minutes
- 78Quansah
- 26Robertson
- 19Elliott
- 3Endo
- 10Mac AllisterSubstituted forClarkat 65'minutes
- 18Gakpo
- 9NúñezSubstituted forSzoboszlaiat 51'minutes
- 7DíazSubstituted forSalahat 74'minutes
Substitutes
- 4van Dijk
- 8Szoboszlai
- 11Salah
- 13Adrián
- 21Tsimikas
- 42Clark
- 49Gordon
- 53McConnell
- 67Koumas
- 84Bradley
- 92Musialowski
- 93Mrozek
Referee:José María Sánchez Martínez
Live Text
Match ends, Sparta Prague 1, Liverpool 5.
Second Half ends, Sparta Prague 1, Liverpool 5.
Goal! Sparta Prague 1, Liverpool 5. Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box to the top left corner. Assisted by Harvey Elliott.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Foul by Jaroslav Zeleny (Sparta Prague).
Foul by Bobby Clark (Liverpool).
Martin Vitík (Sparta Prague) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
Cody Gakpo (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Foul by Markus Solbakken (Sparta Prague).
VAR Decision: No Goal Sparta Prague 1-4 Liverpool.
GOAL OVERTURNED BY VAR: Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) scores but the goal is ruled out after a VAR review.
Offside, Liverpool. Mohamed Salah is caught offside.
Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Foul by Indrit Tuci (Sparta Prague).
Attempt missed. Indrit Tuci (Sparta Prague) left footed shot from outside the box is too high. Assisted by Qazim Laçi.
Attempt saved. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is saved in the centre of the goal. Assisted by Cody Gakpo.
Foul by Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
Ladislav Krejcí (Sparta Prague) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Attempt saved. Dominik Szoboszlai (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is saved in the centre of the goal.
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Ladislav Krejcí.
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