Sparta Prague 0-3 Liverpool – Europa League: Live score, team news and updates as Darwin Nunez hammers home twice… while Brighton trail Roma 2-0

Those Opta stats I posted earlier suggested Bayer Leverkusen were the second favourites to win this competition.

Well they have a tough task ahead as they are 2-0 down away at Azerbaijani side Qarabag!

They are well clear in the Bundesliga and it would be a massive shock if Xabi Alonso’s side lose tonight, even if they are due to play them again in Germany.

Absolutely ruthless from the Uraguayan striker.

And that’s the last action of the half and Liverpool somehow go into the break withg a 3-0 lead despite Sparta Prague having several excellent chances.

They can thank goalkeeper Kelleher for some great saves as well as Darwin Nunez who has given the Reds a comfortable lead with two cracking strikes, after Alexis Mac Allister opened the scoring from the penalty spot.

The half-time whistle has also gone in Rome, where the Italians have a 2-0 lead over Brighton.

It’s another stunning finish by Darwin Nunez!

Alexis Mac Allister over the top to Nunez who from an angle hits the ball first time on the volley past the keeper and Liverpool are in cruise control!

Romelu Lukaku doubles Roma’s lead against Premier League side Brighton and it’s now a big up-hill challenge for the Seagulls.

Brighton have had their chances, more than Roma, but they are 2-0 down.

And as I speak Adingra has a big opportunity as his header is tipped over the crossbar.

Another chance as Luis Diaz sends the ball through to Cody Gakpo who is pulled back but is still able to work a shot which is saved well by the Prague keeper.

Joe Gomez then tries to find a Liverpool team-mate on the edge of the box but the Czech defence clears.

Liverpool have not been at their best but when they do get the ball it seems very easy to work an opportunity.

Chance for Liverpool this time as Luis Diaz charges down the left flank and his ball to Harvey Elliott is initially cut out but it eventually falls to Cody Gakpo who does a quick turn and fires it in but Vindahl-Jensen does well to get down and stop the Reds taking a 3-0 lead.

Huge punt forwards by Sparta Prague and the Liverpool defence get caught.

Hraslin can’t quite take the ball around Kelleher but Ibrahima Konate is also there to clear before the flag is put up for offside.

Liverpool riding their luck so far and Klopp will be eager to get his side into the dressing room with a two-goal advantage.

Harvey Elliott is dispossesed in midfield and Sparta Prague work the ball past Ibrahima Konate and the first shot is saved by Kelleher but parried into the path of Birmancevic who somehow rolls the ball wide with the goal at his mercy!

Won’t see many bigger sitters in the Europa League this season.

Massive let-off for Liverpool!

Another chance for Sparta Prague who cause some more problems down Liverpool’s left flank.

The cross is fired across to Kuchta who is not given much time to try and make good contact with the ball, and he sends it over the bar off his knee.

That goal has taken some sting out of Sparta Prague who looked the more threatening team since Mac Allister opened the scoring.

The Prague fans though are in still great spirits and there is a long way to go in this game still.

Over in Rome, Brighton have reacted well to Dybala’s opening goal, but a lot of work to do.

Liverpool got their goal early but Sparta have been on top since with several decent counter-attacks and set-pieces. Caoimhin Kelleher has just got back to his feet after a minute or so receiving treatment on the floor. That would have been a nightmare ahead of Sunday’s clash with Manchester City, especially with No 1 Alisson already injured.

Spoke too soon! It’s 2-0 now and a screamer from Darwin Nunez, though not sure what the goalkeeper was up to. That’s the 1,000th Liverpool goal under Jurgen Klopp.

Absolute moment of magic from Darwin Nunez who tries his luck from outside the box and it’s a brilliant strike which goes over the hand of the Prague goalkeeper Vindahl-Jenson.

Not quite sure what the goalkeeper was up to as it looked like he should have got a hand on it but that’s the 1,000th goal under Jurgen Klopp since he became Liverpool’s manager.

Sparta Prague are running wild down Liverpool’s left flank and a cross is deflected out by Konate for a corner off his backside.

The resulting corner sees Kelleher forced into an excellent save as he tips the ball over the crossbar.

Soparta have two more corners but Liverpool are just able to deal with on both occasions though Kelleher takes a hard landing as he goes over his team-mate Konate.

Sparta Prague look destined to score if this continues – their set-pieces are causing all sorts of problems.

Big chance for the hosts as Haraslin runs clear with just the keeper to beat but Kelleher makes a great save but the ball still seems to be heading in.

But there’s Joe Gomez in attendance to get back and clear off the line!

Jurgen Klopp’s side very fortunate there! Haraslin causing the Reds some problems in Prague.

After a VAR check Roma are ahead! Dybala just timed his run to perfection and just like in Prague an Argentine player has put their side ahead.

Dybala thinks he has scored at Rome as he is sent through on goal and rolls the ball home but he is just offside.

But there is a VAR check….

Endo is perhaps lucky to avoid a yellow card as he hauls down Haraslin as the Sparta forward turns him.

He does love a challenge but needs to be careful going forward.

Sparta starting to get on the ball a bit more as Konate heads a cross away for a throw-in.

An opportunity for Sparta Prague to put the ball into the danger area as Konate gives away a foul.

The ball is whipped into the box and it’s Gakpo who heads away.

Meanwhile in Rome, Brighton have hit the post!

Adingra’s shot deflected off a Roma defender and off the woodwork.

He sends the keeper the wrong way as he calmly rolls the ball into his bottom left hand corner.

The goalkeeper had already started to head the other way and made it easy.

What a start for the Reds!

Blatant penalty as Alexis Mac Allister is taken down in the box and the Argentine World Cup winner will take it…

Over at the Stadio Olimpico there’s also been an early chance for Roma striker Romelu Lukaku.

A wicked ball is played into the box and Romelu Lukaku’s header is tipped over the bar.

Some decent options for the Reds if required later!

A big early chance for Liverpool in Prague!

Some calamitious defending by the hosts allows Darwin Nunez to have a chance but he’s on the stretch and can’t really get contact on the ball, and Prague have another players back to deal with the situation eventually.

It all comes from a poor clearance by their goalkeeper which went straight to Endo.

We are underway in Prague and the whistle is about to go in Rome as well.

Matt Barlow is in Rome for Brighton’s trip to the Stadio Olimpico. He reports;

Brighton fans winding up Roma fans by singing Jose Mourinho’s name. Drew sharp whistling response from home fans.

More or less full here… wonderful atmosphere building.

Roma learned to take these European trophies seriously under Mourinho.

Andy Robertson captaining Liverpool tonight leads his team out, while the teams are about to come out of the tunnel in Rome.

The Europe League anthem might not have the same hit to it like the Champions League one tonight, but as the camera pans across on the players they are looking as motivated as ever.

They would love to get the job done tonight ahead of the second-leg at Anfield.

Could we see a Jurgen Klopp vs Xabi Alonso final? Still plenty of games to come before the final starting with tonight’s first-legs in the Round of 16.

We have just over five minutes to go until kick-off in Prague and Rome for what hopefully will be two cracking games.

We will be focusing on Liverpool but will give you all the key updates from Brighton’s trip to Roma.

We have players available and we had to make decisions on who should play so that’s the outcome of my thought process and yes it’s a good line-up and we have options on the bench. It will be a tough game, they are a very optimistic opponent.

You don’t have a rotation problem too often as you just play who’s available. If you can rotate it’s a luxury problem, it’s not a problem.

Two or three of the boys came back and hopefully soon we will have more. We just have to make sure we are ready for each game.

Dom probably a bit more (ready) than Mo not because of the injury but because he’s been in training more. But we will find out.

Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen are also in action in the Europa League and of course he is the man who has been heavily tipped to replace Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool.

Asked whether the job at Anfield is too soon for the Spaniard, Peter Crouch said on TNT Sports;

He’s the standout candidate and he has done outstanding things at Leverkusen. Knows the club inside out and I know the person and it was always clear he would become a manager but it’s very early days and it’s a massive job and you have to replace Jurgen Klopp.’

Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele is in Prague to watch tonight’s match. He reports;

The Epet Arena is filling up now with plenty of Sparta ultras making lots of noise. Jurgen Klopp has named a very strong XI with Virgil van Dijk the only player getting a rest – and even he might share minutes with Ibrahima Konate.

The 900 or so Liverpool fans making the trip to Prague might be treated with the first sighting of Mo Salah in a while, with the Egyptian playing just once for the Reds since New Year’s Day.

Those in football always suggest that the next game is the most important, but that appears to be different going into Liverpool’s clash with Sparta Prague.

The Europa League is the only trophy that the Reds have played in and failed to win in Klopp’s time at the club, but all the talk is about their clash with Man City at Anfield.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s comments have been about this weekend’s game insisting that trophies mean more to the Reds than Man City.

Haaland has now given his response to the England star’s comments.

Click below to read more…

These are the kind of nights that Brighton fans will have been dreaming of when they qualified for Europe.

They have already traveled to Ajax, Marseille and AEK Athens this season, but the Stadio OIimpico is one of the great stadiums across Europe and tonight’s test will be a tough one for Roberto De Zerbi’s side, but one their players and supporters will relish.

Dominik Szoboszlai is a very handy player to have back, but with no offence to the Hungarian star, all Liverpool fans will be excited to see their star man Mohamed Salah on the bench for tonight’s game.

Since the Reds beat Newcastle on New Year’s Day, Salah has only made one brief appearance off the bench due to him being away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, as well as suffering with injury.

Any Salah appearance tonight could depend on how Liverpool perform in Prague, as Jurgen Klopp will surely want to make sure he’s available for their big weekend clash with title rivals Man City.

Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour has got off to the perfect start after their Carabao Cup triumph over Chelsea.

There could be more success to follow in his final months at the club as they are the strong favourites to win the Europa League, are top of the Premier League and are still in the FA Cup.

Despite their injury crisis they have named a strong line-up and you might have noticed one notable return on the bench…

The first game from the Round of 16 first legs took place last night as Sporting were held to a 1-1 draw in Portugal by Atalanta.

The rest of tonight’s Europa League fixtures are as follows;

Qarabag vs Bayer Leverkusen (5.45pm)

AC Milan vs Slavia Prague

*All 8pm unless otherwise stated

Six changes for Brighton to the team who were beaten at Fulham.

Igor, Gross, Gilmour, Welbeck, Adingra and Buonanotte all step into the team while the likes of Ferguson, Lallana and Estupinan are replaced.

Daniele de Rossi has named his side to host Brighton in the early kick-off and there is a familiar face among them.

Romelu Lukaku starts for the Italian side.

Paulo Dybala also makes the starting XI for Roma.

Jurgen Klopp has named an expected strong team for their first-leg tie with Sparta Prague.

Darwin Nunez returns to the starting line up and will lead the line.

The most notable change comes in defence where 21-year-old Jarrell Quansah partners Ibrahima Konate in defence.

Unai Emery’s Aston Villa are also in action tonight in the Europa Conference League.

They will take on Dutch side Ajax in what is set to be the tie of the round in that particular competition.

Hello and thanks for joining us!

Jurgen Klopp’s farewell tour will roll through Prague tonight as his Liverpool side take on Sparta Prague in the first leg of the Europa League round-of-16.

They are joined in the early action by Roberto di Zerbi’s Brighton who are in Italy taking on Roma, who have had a resurgence of sorts since Daniele de Rossi took over.