STAR FOOTBALL PREVIEW Thurs: Sparta Prague v Liverpool

After their League Cup success, Liverpool are still fighting on all fronts but they could find juggling multiple cup and league runs very difficult and Sparta Prague can give the Reds plenty to think about in today’s first-leg Europa League encounter, writes WILLIAM KEDJANYI.

Jurgen Klopp’s men have followed up their Carabao Cup success against Chelsea with a win against Southampton in the FA Cup and then a controversial last gasp win at Nottingham Forest, when home fans were fuming at the decision to give Liverpool the ball after Ibrahima Konate went down with a head injury shortly before Darwin Nunez’s late winners.

Liverpool’s fight cannot be underestimated but their incredibly long injury list – Alisson, Joel Matip, Thiago, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Stefan Bajcetic, Curtis Jones, Diogo Jota and Ryan Gravenberch are all out – is taking its toll and with a huge game against Manchester City to come at the weekend, changes will surely be made.

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Sparta Prague v Liverpool
UEFA Europa League Last 16, First Leg
17:45 TNT Sports 1 HD / Discovery + HD

HEAD-TO-HEAD RECORD
(Maximum 10 matches)
FEB 2011 EUROPA LEAGUE Liverpool 1-0 Sparta Prague
FEB 2011 EUROPA LEAGUE Sparta Prague 0-0 Liverpool

Sparta Prague – who took their first league title for nine years last season – are enjoying another strong campaign and sit four points clear at the top of the league. Worryingly for Liverpool, much of that is built on a strong home record – their last defeat at home was back in May and they’ve gone 15 matches unbeaten since, including in the group stages and Last 32.

They turned around a 3-2 defeat in the first leg of their Last 32 tie against Galatasaray with a 4-1 win at home, they won 3-1 against Real Betis in the group stage and they also held Copenhagen to a 3-3 draw in the Champions League group stages.

Liverpool’s away form in the groups was iffy – they needed goals from Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Mo Salah to beat LASK Linz, and lost to Toulouse and Union St.Gilloise – and whilst their young guns have impressed hugely in recent weeks, 3/4 with starsports.bet makes no appeal.

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The hosts have impressed during their European campaign, have a mostly fully fit squad to pick from and are undefeated in six European home matches this season, so take 21/20 on them avoiding defeat with starsports.bet.

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