English and Czech Frontrunners Clash in the Europa League

Sparta Praha vs Liverpool

Liverpool will embark on a long journey to Prague for the first leg of their Europa League last-16 tie against Sparta Praha.

This has the hallmarks of a great sporting event. Both teams top their respective domestic leagues, and both have shown exemplary form in their domestic cups as well.

Klopp will once again lead his outfit through another herculean task before he bids farewell, as they try to get a win in front of a hostile and passionate crowd at Epet Arena.

The odds at SBOTOP have Liverpool as the favourites at 1.92, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll breeze past the Czech league leaders, not in the very least.

Talking Points

Offence has been Sparta’s calling card

Aside from their recent 0-0 draw against Salvia Praha in the Czech First League, Sparta Praha’s offence has been a masterclass to behold.

Priske’s men boast the best offence in their domestic league, tied with Viktoria Plzeň with 55 recorded goals on the season thus far. With that potency and their bastion-like defence, Sparta Praha could run away with the Czech League title sooner than later.

Sparta have proven that their dominance doesn’t stop in the Czech League and that they can wrestle with the best clubs in Europe. The most glaring example of this was their two-legged clash against Galatasaray in the Europa League.

Instead of surgically getting the better of their adversaries, the Czech outfit decided to take off their gloves and started exchanging haymakers with the threatening Turkish side.

Praha were outgunned at RAMS Park, falling short to Galatasaray 3-2, but they wreaked havoc during their return game as they obliterated their European rivals 4-1 at Epet Arena, claiming a 6-4 win in aggregate and securing their spot in the Europa League Round of 16.

Ailing Liverpool are still dominant

The Reds, under the stewardship of Jurgen Klopp, will continue their pursuit of European glory as they march to Prague despite missing some key pieces in their lineup.

Riding their recent successes and their hold on the top seed of the Premier League table, Liverpool’s resilience will once again be tested with another challenging task.

Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch, Diogo Jota, and Curtis Jones are some of the notable names set to miss the first leg of their Europa League last-16 clash against Sparta Prague, and Klopp will once again lean on the brilliance of studs like Darwin Núñez and Virgil van Dijk, who have been keeping the mighty red ship afloat amidst the injury plague that hit Anfield.

But in recent Europa League 2024 news, Liverpool’s main man, Mo Salah, may grace the pitch against Sparta next week. It is believed that Salah is close to being fully fit, and Reds fans can only wait and see if Klopp decides to put his star winger in the lineup against the Czech outfit.

There is also a narrative where Klopp could err on the side of caution and rest his 31-year-old ace for their marquee matchup against Manchester City two days after their clash with Sparta.

But as the entire football world witnessed, even without their star Mo Salah, Klopp and the rest of Liverpool are still a force to be reckoned with. Despite missing key pieces in their roster, the Reds qualified for the quarterfinals of the FA Cup, won the EFL Cup final, and kept their top seed in the Premier League table to boot.

History

The only time Liverpool and Sparta Praha locked horns was during the 2011 edition of the Europa League, where Liverpool beat their European rivals 1-0 on aggregate.

With more than a decade since their last meeting, it’s safe to say that both outfits have drastically changed in terms of players and personnel since then, and their upcoming bout serves as a clean slate for all their future bouts against one another.

In recent form, both clubs have been in stellar form, topping their respective domestic leagues while excelling in their domestic cups to boot.

Liverpool historically struggled in their away games in the Europa League, going winless in their last 11 (D4, L7), and with a depleted lineup, there’s a real possibility that history will repeat itself in Prague this Friday.

Meanwhile, Sparta Prague struggle against English clubs, winning just one out of their last 16 meetings with English clubs in Europe, an interesting statistic punters should take into consideration when betting on this match.

Betting Tip

Despite their injury woes, Liverpool are still the favourites to win at 1.92, while the home team, Sparta Praha, are the underdogs in their own stadium at 3.35 with a draw price of 3.32.

Salah or no Salah, the Europa League 2024 betting odds suggest that Klopp’s Reds will be the ones ahead in aggregate when the smoke clears at Epet Arena.

Liverpool continue to produce stellar results against their English rivals, rubbing elbows and prevailing against some of the best clubs not just in England but in the entire continent, which is why a price of 1.92 serves as a value bet in my opinion.

Another line to consider is total goals Over 2.75 at 1.86. As stated above, Sparta Praha’s offence has been world-class in the past few weeks, and Liverpool are a potent outfit themselves, which is why asking for more than a 2.75 Total Goals count doesn’t seem to be that lofty.

 

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