Sparta Prague vs Liverpool: How to Watch, Betting Odds & Prediction

(Featured image: Alamy Images)

Written by: Luke O'Callaghan

Liverpool resume their European quest as they travel to the Czech Republic in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie with Sparta Prague on Thursday.

Jurgen Klopp's side  will be competing in their fourth competition in under two weeks as they hope to take a positive result back to Anfield in a week’s time.

How to Watch Slavia Prague vs Liverpool in the UK:

The match will be broadcast live on TNT Sports with coverage set to begin at 5pm this Thursday. Kick-off takes place at 5:45pm.

Recent Form:

The Premier League leaders head into the match on the back of a dramatic 1-0 away win at Nottingham Forest on Saturday. Substitute Darwin Nunez's 99th minute header snatched the three points for the away side, one week after a late Virgil van Dijk extra-time goal saw them lift the Carabao Cup. The three-time Europa League/UEFA Cup winners qualified for the RO16 after topping Group E.

Liverpool will face a stern test in Sparta Prague, who sit 4 points clear at the top of the Fortuna Liga in Czech Republic. Despite a 0-0 draw last weekend against rivals Slavia Prague, Sparta have lost just once in their last 17 games, when they lost 3-2 against Galatasaray in the Europa League Play-off first leg. Sparta followed that up with an impressive 4-1 display at home in the 2nd leg against the Turkish side to proceed.

The Reds' injury worries won’t be at ease on Thursday, as Sparta have been involved in 6 red cards in their last 5 games.

Team News:

Sparta Prague will be without midfielders David Pavelka and Jakub Pesek as well as full-back Andreas Vindheim through injury this Thursday.

Liverpool’s injury list is slightly reduced with the return to the side of Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Saturday’s goalscorer Nunez. The game will come too soon for Mohamed Salah who will miss out, alongisde long term absentees Alisson Becker, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Diogo Jota, Curtis Jones, Thiago Alcantara, Stefan Bajcetic, Joel Matip and Ryan Gravenberch.

Betting Odds:

Liverpool predictably head to the Czech capital as strong favourites. 10Bet have the Reds at 19/20 to secure the away victory, carrying an implied probability of 51.28%. Sparta are at 14/5 with BetMGM to pull off the upset (an implied probability of 26.32%). 

The draw comes in at 3/1 with BetFred, carrying an implied probability of 25%. 

 

Previous Next