Liverpool delivered a resounding 5-1 victory over Sparta Prague in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash, thanks to an early penalty from Alexis Mac Allister and a brace from Darwin Nunez.
Mac Allister capitalized on a foul inside the box to put Liverpool ahead in the sixth minute, confidently slotting the ball into the bottom corner, sending Sparta keeper Peter Jensen the wrong way.
Nunez extended Liverpool’s lead in the 25th minute with a powerful strike from distance that left Jensen with no chance, before adding another just before halftime to make it 3-0.
Sparta Prague managed to pull one back early in the second half through an own goal from Liverpool substitute Conor Bradley. However, Liverpool quickly reasserted their dominance, with Luis Diaz restoring their three-goal advantage in the 53rd minute, and Dominik Szoboszlai sealing the win with a fifth goal in added time.
