Liverpool hammered Slavia Praha 5-1 in the first leg of their round of 16 clash in the UEFA Europa League. An early penalty from Alexis Mac Allister’s and a stunning brace from Darwin Nunez sealed a commanding victory for the Reds.
Speaking after their win, Klopp said Nunez has not reached his absolute peak but remains a constant threat for the opposition. Nunez has scored 16 goals and provided 11 assists in 39 matches across competitions this season.
“Nunez had to adapt, that’s done and (he is) settled in the middle of the team. He has quality coming out of his ears, to be honest. Is he already at his absolute peak in general? Not now for us, and can he develop? Yes. Is he a threat all the time? Yes,” said Klopp.
The tone was set in the sixth minute when Liverpool’s Argentina’s Mac Allister was fouled inside the box. He expertly converted from the spot, sending Sparta keeper Peter Jensen in the wrong direction, drilling his shot into the bottom corner.
Liverpool’s dominance was further stamped in the 25th minute when Nunez doubled Liverpool’s lead. He impeccably placed his shot just beneath the bar from afar – a milestone moment that marked the 1,000th goal under Jurgen Klopp’s managerial reign.
The ruthless Uruguayan forward further widened the gap to 3-0 at the brink of half-time by deftly controlling a lobbed pass from Mac Allister and smoothly slotting the ball into the net from the edge of the box.
Despite a momentary setback at the start of the second half as substitute Conor Bradley scored an own goal, Liverpool quickly regained their stride. In the 53rd minute, winger Luis Dias restored Liverpool’s three-goal cushion.
Mohamed Salah, who had come on as a substitute, had a goal turned down by VAR for offside. This slight hiccup did not hinder Liverpool’s onslaught as Dominik Szoboszlai added the resounding fifth in the injury time capping off a highly successful night for Liverpool.
Following their win over Sparta Prague, Liverpool will turn their focus on Manchester City with a heavyweight clash set to take place at Anfield on Sunday, March 10.
