8 months ago
177 Liverpool cruised into the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday after once again hammering Sparta Prague.
Jurgen Klopp‘s Reds, leading 5-1 from the first leg in the Czech capital, raced into a 4-0 lead on the night after just quarter of an hour played.
Although Sparta netted a consolation in the 42nd minute, Liverpool went on to add two more for a 6-1 win on the night and 11-2 on aggregate.
Cody Gakpo was one of the Reds’ stars on the night, netting a brace which included a ‘cheeky’ goal – according to BBC Sport – in the 55th minute.
Harvey Elliott drove a low, left-footed strike towards the bottom corner of the Sparta net. Gakpo showed good awareness to get a little flick on it and send it into the corner.
Sky Sports pundit Jay Bothroyd liked what he saw from the 24-year-old Dutchman, and also praised Liverpool’s unrelenting attitude in the match.
“A tidy finish from Gakpo,” Bothroyd said on Sky Sports News. “Liverpool aren’t getting complacent and are demanding perfection from each other.”
Liverpool show no mercy as Sparta put to the sword
Gakpo had also scored in the 14th minute of the game, by which point Liverpool were four goals to the good on the night.
Darwin Nunez and Bobby Clark netted within the first eight minutes before the returning Mohamed Salah got in on the act in the 10th minute.
Gakpo’s first came four minutes later before Veljko Birmancevic struck for the visitors on 42 minutes.
However, Dominik Szoboszlai restored Liverpool’s four-goal advantage three minutes into the second half.
The ‘exceptional‘ Gakpo wrapped up the scoring with his 55th minute effort, after which Liverpool took the foot off the gas.
Liverpool deserve huge credit for once again going in all guns blazing, with poor Sparta finding themselves on the receiving end of another schooling.
Up next for the Reds is Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final trip to Manchester United.
The post 'Tidy': Sky pundit wowed by 'exceptional' 24-year-old Liverpool player in tonight's rout of Sparta appeared first on TBR Football.
