Daniel’s Debrief: Sparta Prague 1-5 Liverpool

City on Sunday.

My first thought at the full-time whistle after Forest on Saturday.

City on Sunday.

Certainly my first thought when I saw the lineup tonight and clocked the names of Wataru Endo, Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson and Luis Diaz.

And it’s definitely my only thought when Konate limps off the field early in the second half.

I was expecting a team more akin to the one that started against Southampton eight days ago, with the likes of Bobby Clark, James McConnell and Kostas Tsimikas.

I certainly didn’t see Endo and Robertson doing 90 minutes, for example.

But, parking the fact it’s City on Sunday - which I may have mentioned - for a moment, there was a game in an important competition tonight and Jurgen Klopp treats it as such.

The obvious benefit of how strongly the manager goes is that it gives him the best chance of winning this game, of winning the tie on the night, and ultimately of winning the trophy.

And this is a night where Liverpool show why they’re still the favourites to win this competition.

It’s a strange game in Prague because it’s very open and full of chances for both teams and Sparta bring all of the intangibles that Liverpool bring - effort, endeavour and work but the difference is that Liverpool are just better in both boxes.

Liverpool’s attacking players are more clinical in the Sparta box and defensively, they have individuals who put in formidable displays.

Caoimhin Kelleher may go down as the unsung hero of this season. His League Cup final performance should never be forgotten. He is a major reason why we have already boxed off one trophy and if Liverpool end up winning more, his contribution will have been significant.

It’s another stellar performance from him tonight. He is far more convincing than he was in the first half of the season and seems to have adapted his game slightly to be more alert and front-footed.

Probably the biggest test of his career so far coming up.

City on Sunday.

The save he pulls off at 0-1 is exceptional, and so is the goal-line clearance from Gomez. It wouldn’t be true to categorise Gomez as an unsung hero because his praises have been sung aplenty, but his versatility is perhaps being taken for granted when it should be applauded at every turn.

He only does 45 here and switches with Conor Bradley in a clearly planned change and I expected we’d see the same with Konate and Virgil Van Dijk.

Because it’s City on Sunday.

The first-half scoreline of 0-3 allows Liverpool to make changes in personnel and just lift the foot off the gas a little in the second half.

They’d done so well to go in at half-time three to the good. Alexis Mac Allister is one of the most in-form players in the country right now and showcases both sides of his game with the first goal - the tenacity and determination to win the penalty and then the coolness and technical ability to stroke it home with nonchalance.

He is a joy to behold at the minute and for me, would be the second pick in midfield for the Premier League team of the season, behind Rodri. You’re probably looking at either Declan Rice or Martin Odegaard for the third spot.

I actually credit Mac Allister moving into the more advanced role with Darwin Nunez’s increase in output in recent weeks.

Since Burnley, Nunez has been devastating in front of goal when he’s played and Mac Allister has been involved in quite a few of them.

The first one is probably the one that will get remembered because of the distance and it’s a well-struck shot but the positioning of Peter Jensen really has to be questioned.

I prefer Nunez’s second goal, a net-busting strike, on the half-volley, into the bottom corner. It’s an absolute banger.

He catches it just right and manages to get the purchase and direction on it to take it away from Jensen and it’s one of his best Liverpool goals to date, if not his most important.

It’s another gorgeous floated ball from Mac Allister into the box and it’s such a way home for Liverpool right now.

Nunez looks more convincing with his chances lately but it’s worth pointing out that he does fail to convert a great chance at 0-0 when he overthinks and that both of his goals are distance ones rather than classic striker goals.

I’ve heard theories that he’s playing with more confidence, but that’s bullshit. If there’s one thing Nunez has never lacked, it’s confidence. Think of Luton away or Chelsea at home when it wasn’t happening for him but he just keeps on shooting.

Both Mac Allister and Nunez are off early in the second half, and after adding to his own increasing goal tally after good work from Elliott, Diaz is also withdrawn.

City on Sunday.

Dominik Szoboszlai and Mohamed Salah both get time on the pitch before the weekend and both have the ball in the net but Salah’s is ruled out for a fictitious offside.

Klopp has a big decision about whether to start these two at the weekend. Have either of them had enough time on the pitch to start? Would you rather be able to bring them on to finish the game with your strongest team? 

I think Szoboszlai probably starts given how much football Elliott has played recently and that would mean an Endo-Mac Allister-Szoboszlai midfield.

I actually think Salah will start as well. I think they’ll push him and he’ll push himself through this one, and whilst Nunez and Diaz are in good form, Cody Gakpo has fallen off a cliff lately and doesn’t offer anything like the threat that Salah does.

Then there’s the Konate situation. Klopp seemed to think it’s not too serious but you never know with Konate, and if he’s out, he’d be faced with either playing Jarell Quansah or Gomez at centre-back, which would mean Bradley at right-back.

Quansah is superb tonight and easily the best of Liverpool’s defenders. Bradley was shaky, Konate was spun a few times and Robertson really struggled.

The midfield was way too open and to be fair to the defence, they ended up doing far too much sprinting as a result.

It will be a completely different game at the weekend and I’d expect City to have a lot of the ball. People go on a lot about their Anfield record but I’d argue they’ve been the better side in the last three instalments of the fixture, but have only one win to show for it.

In 20/21 they play us off the park, 21/22 they dominate and we score two special goals to draw and 22/23 is a moment of quality on the counter from Salah.

Phil Foden always plays well against Liverpool and is in a purple patch of form and the likes of Rodri, Kevin De Bruyne and Erling Haaland are the best in their positions in the world.

Liverpool have so many missing that a win would be another near-miracle, but our record against City is good and there will certainly be a stepping up of the levels from the players for Sunday.

Personally, I’d be fine with a draw.

The next two weekends see City in the league and United in the FA Cup quarter-finals and it’s two huge Sundays coming up.

Sandwiched in between those is the second leg of this last 16 tie and the work Liverpool do tonight has put that to bed and enables Klopp to make wholesale changes for that one, which will be a welcome luxury.

Still being in Europe by April is not something that should be taken for granted and is something that Klopp has delivered in every season bar 19/20 and 22/23.

One of his greatest achievements for me is how much he has normalised our success in Europe, primarily in the Champions League. 

Three finals in four years is INSANE. Manchester United, who are a European behemoth, have been to five finals in their history. 

Five times we’ve qualified from the group stage of a European competition with a game to spare under Klopp.

We go to tricky places in Europe and just win under him. Bayern Munich will always be the most underrated win in his time at the club for me but there’s so many big away wins - Inter, AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, Ajax, Man City, Porto x3, Benfica to name just a couple.

Rafael Benitez’s era is defined by his making of Liverpool into a force to be reckoned with on the European stage, a team that you always knew could be good.

Under Klopp, in Europe Liverpool have been a team that you always knew would be good.

Time to forget Europe for a bit now. We should be fielding Caroline from the canteen at Anfield next Thursday.

City on Sunday.

Daniel