Sparta Prague vs Liverpool Prediction & Betting Tips - Europa League

Prediction published on 07/03/2024, 08:20  by Ian John | Modified on 07/03/2024 at 08:34 in Europa League Predictions

Sparta Prague faced Liverpool in the Europa League Round of 16 first leg on Thursday (kick off 5.45pm) knowing that Toulouse and Union St. Gilloise have shown that the Reds are beatable on the road in this competition this season. Despite those two defeats, Liverpool still finished top of their group to earn a bye into the Round of 16, where they face a Sparta side who came from 3-2 down in their playoff game with Galatasaray in Turkey to record a sensational 4-1 win on home soil. Domestically, Sparta are comfortably top of the league table in Czechia having lost just one game all season and they are unbeaten at home domestically too, winning 11 of 12 games on their own patch, drawing the other. They drew at home last time they faced Liverpool back in this competition in 2011 and they'll want at least the same again this time around too.

For Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, this may be a game he views as one he will have to rest key players for. After the drama of the Reds 1-0 last gasp win over Nottingham Forest at the weekend, which kept them top of the Premier League, the Reds will face huge rivals Manchester City at Anfield this weekend - a game that the home side will be heavily hit by absent players through injury for. Klopp won't want to risk any more mishaps to key first teamers in this game, so I feel it is very likely a number of youngsters such as Jayden Danns, Lewis Koumas, Bobby Clark and Conor Bradley could start with Kostas Tsimikas also likely to feature in place of Andy Robertson. That could make this a very tricky evening for Liverpool, as they have shown in previous away games in this competition this season.