Will Sparta reach their limits against the Reds’ B-Elf?

WOW! These three letters only begin to describe what a magnificent game of soccer the fans at Anfield Road were treated to last Sunday. Liverpool and Manchester City battled it out at the highest possible level and ultimately drew 1-1, which was more than flattering for the Citizens. The Reds dominated proceedings at will in the second half and should undoubtedly have been awarded a penalty in stoppage time

LFC can breathe a sigh of relief during the week ahead of next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester United. The background to this is the comfortable starting position ahead of the second leg of the round of 16 in the Europa League. After the 5:1 win in the Czech capital, the second clash at home should be a mere formality

The fact that relatively high odds of over 1.30 are being offered on Liverpool and Sparta Prague as the favorites to win shows, however, that the bookmakers are firstly expecting a B-team from the current Premier League runners-up and secondly are unable/unwilling to finally assess the seriousness with which Klopp’s team will play for victory when it is not absolutely necessary.

We have summarized the facts below and garnished them with subjective impressions. Over-tips are particularly interesting. You can find an immense selection of goal bets at Happybet, for example, where you have the opportunity to collect a 150% bonus of up to €100 as a new customer

Liverpool – Statistics & current form

Although the aforementioned 1-1 draw against Manchester City meant Liverpool Football Club had to surrender the lead in the Premier League to Arsenal for the time being due to their inferior goal difference, their performance in the top match in front of a home crowd proved once again that the Reds are undoubtedly one of the best teams in Europe at the moment. Hardly any other team can match LFC’s intensity over 90 minutes on the pitch, and even Pep Guardiola’s Sky Blues were unable to break free from the home side’s grip after the break at Anfield. A home win would have been absolutely deserved.

However, anyone automatically assuming that Klopp’s side will deliver the next festival on Thursday evening and take on the second leg of the UEFA Europa League round of 16 with the same vigor could be mistaken. After the 5-1 win in the first leg a week ago, however, there is every indication that the German coach will rotate heavily and give a number of supplementary players valuable minutes on the European stage. Consequently, we refrain from predicting a commanding home win between Liverpool and Sparta Prague and instead focus on the number of goals expected

Is Klopp letting his youngsters off the leash?

No matter who is ultimately on the pitch, it can still be assumed that a goal or two will be scored. On the one hand, the players from the second tier want to recommend themselves for higher tasks at the end of the season. On the other hand, their pronounced self-confidence and the internalized DNA do not allow for anything other than an offensive approach. At the same time, however, a starting eleven that has been reshuffled in many positions could also lead to coordination problems in defense and, as a result, goals conceded. Even in the first leg, LFC should not have complained about conceding two to four goals in Prague.

It is therefore conceivable to consider the odds for over 3.5 after 90 minutes or the odds for over 1.5 (1st half) between Liverpool and Sparta Prague. In four of the last five first halves involving the Reds in the Europa League, two or more goals have been scored. In total, there have been a whopping 14 goals in seven first EL rounds. Furthermore, the current Premier League runners-up have won all of their last eight home games in this competition and therefore have a certain self-confidence in front of a home crowd. Despite the fact that there is unlikely to be any excitement, Klopp’s team will want to offer the fans something, so we are very positive about the implied over-bets.

Liverpool’s expected line-up:

Sparta Prague – Statistics & current form

The anticipation was great among all those involved in Sparta when Liverpool FC was drawn as an opponent. Above all, the away game at the legendary Anfield Road was set to be a real highlight for fans, players and coaching staff. However, the reigning Czech champions would hardly have expected that all hopes of progressing to the next round would be buried before the second leg on the island. The 5-1 defeat at home means that even the boldest optimists with rose-tinted spectacles no longer expect things to get exciting again on Thursday.

Just how much the defeat against their English championship rivals hurt the blue-and-yellow team became clear at the weekend. In the league, they suffered a heavy 0:4 defeat at Viktoria Pilsen! Having conceded nine goals in the last 180 minutes, Danish coach Brian Priske is probably already worried ahead of the second leg in the atmospheric soccer temple on Merseyside. The top priority must be to prevent another debacle

Sparta will not just hope that it passes quickly

However, it is not the Czech leaders’ approach to soccer to play a reactive role and focus primarily on defense. It is no coincidence that a bet of over 2.5 would have come true in nine of the eleven Europa League games played so far this season (including qualifiers). A total of 41 goals have been scored, an average of almost four per match. In the three international matches in the soccer year alone, 16 (!) goals were scored, which in turn supports our assumption that a prediction on over goals will also be crowned with success in the second leg between Liverpool and Sparta Prague.

Finally, it should be noted that Sparta have lost 17 of their last 21 away games in the European Cup and have only managed to keep the upper hand once in eleven away games in England. Nevertheless, the underdogs see the game at Anfield as a special experience. In the aftermath, the Czechs certainly don’t want to be accused of being too passive and timid. However, the first leg proved impressively that you can cause the LFC defense immense problems with your own offense. Perhaps that’s why it’s a good idea to include the odds on both teams scoring in the betting slip ahead of the second leg between Liverpool and Sparta Prague

Predicted Sparta Prague line-up:

Liverpool – Sparta Prague head-to-head comparison / H2H result

We’ve already covered the first leg several times. Liverpool were already 3:0 ahead at the break in Prague and went on to win 5:1. However, the result should not obscure the course of the game, as Sparta should have scored three or four goals if they had been a little more effective in the final third. In view of the quality of the chances and the approach of both teams, there is also much to suggest that the second leg will be a high-scoring affair. Unlike in the first two head-to-head duels in the 2010/11 Europa League season, by the way, in which LFC won 1-0 on aggregate after the first and second legs.

Liverpool – Sparta Prague betting tip

There will be no more drama in the second leg between Liverpool FC and Sparta Prague. The 5:1 win in the first leg has long since settled the issues in terms of progression. This makes it all the more difficult to identify suitable value bets. This is further complicated by the fact that the Reds are likely to field a B-team in view of the upcoming FA Cup match against Manchester United.

Nevertheless, the supplementary players will be keen to offer the fans a spectacle and to recommend themselves to coach Klopp. In addition, the first leg showed that both defensive lines in the Europa League open up a lot of space and allow chances. It’s quite possible that this won’t necessarily change in the second leg and that we’ll see a few more goals. We therefore see the greatest attraction in exploiting the odds for over-bets between Liverpool and Sparta Prague

In particular, we like the over 1.5 (1st half) in this context. At international level, the Reds are real early starters. In addition, it may take the visitors from the Czech Republic a while to absorb and digest the atmosphere at Anfield. A quick lead for the favorites can therefore not be ruled out. Two or more goals before the break are also conceivable and are attractively priced at 2.00 at Happybet