Liverpool thrashed Sparta Prague at Anfield to complete a resounding aggregate victory as they moved in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.
Already 5-1 ahead after a dominant first-leg showing in the Czech Republic, Darwin Nunez’s opener was the first of four goals in seven first-half minutes as Liverpool overwhelmed their opponents.
And by full-time Liverpool had run up their biggest aggregate win in a European competition since the 11-2 success over Finnish side Oulun Palloseura in the first round of the European Cup 1980-81.
Dominik Szoboszlai’s precise cut-back allowed Uruguay forward Nunez to start the rout, as he registered his ninth goal in 11 games, by guiding a low effort into the bottom right corner.
Bobby Clark, the son of former Newcastle midfielder Lee, capped a fine first European start with his first senior goal just 68 seconds later, with the teenager rolling the ball past visiting goalkeeper Peter Vindahl as Sparta gifted Liverpool possession on the edge of their own box.
An almost identical error from the visitors allowed Mohamed Salah to stroke in a third for Jurgen Klopp’s side and the Egyptian then turned provider with a near-post cross for Cody Gakpo to add a fourth.
Sparta did briefly stem the tide and Veljko Birmancevic outpaced Wataru Endo to steer the ball past home goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher shortly before the break.
It provided a fleeting moment of joyous celebration for the visiting supporters on an otherwise dismal evening for the Czech champions on Merseyside.
With an FA Cup quarter-final at rivals Manchester United on the horizon on Sunday, Klopp withdrew Joe Gomez, Endo and Nunez at the interval but the hosts showed no signs of relenting.
Szoboszlai’s deflected effort shortly after the break put the home side into double figures across the two legs and Gakpo’s improvised flick from substitute Harvey Elliott’s curling shot rounded off matters.
