Sparta Prague 0 Liverpool 0 (1st leg, Europa League, round of 32)
This was a woeful performance by Liverpool, as we only mustered up a mere 3 chances and all of them off target. We were really poor and Dalglish can only be left scrathing his head after this one. The only good news was that the opposition were not that much better and the game ended scoreless.
Dalglish stayed with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Gerrard was still missing and was missed for sure. Johnson was started at right back, Kelly was rested as Wilson was given the left back duties. Ngog got the start up-front and Aurelio was paired in midfield with Lucas, with Maxi on the left and Kuyt on the right:
———— Reina ————-
Johnson – Carra – Kyrgiakos — Wilson
—– Lucas —— Aurelio —–
– Kuyt —– Meireles — Maxi —-
————- Ngog —————-
Subs: Cole for Aurelio (38), Skrtel for Ngog (84)
Liverpool started comfortably and looked like they were there to win it. It was a cold night and Sparta looked as if they were stuck in first gear, it being their winter break. Liverpool had some control but lacked everything in the final third. Meireles was good once again and nearly sent through Ngog. Meanwhile Sparta troubled us only slightly as a shot went well over the bar, but then more dangerously when a low shot after a corner just went wide. Sparta may have been tepid but were more dangerous than us.
Johnson was beaten as Sparta threatened down that side, they created a shot from a tight angle which Reina saved. However Johnson was creative going forward as Liverpool tried to string passes together to open them up. Kuyt nearly put through Maxi, after some good interaction between Meireles and Ngog. Then it was Reina’s turn to once again flap at a cross but the gifted chance that fell to Sparta was skied well over the bar. And Kyrgiakos made a good block soon after.
Aurelio went off injured in the first half, with Joe Cole replacing. It was Cole’s pass that attempted to set-up Ngog but he was snuffed out by Repka. Then Repka fouled Ngog off the field ‘in the box’ yet no foul was given although a yellow card was dished out to both players. Then it was Kuyt’s turn to be wasteful when he missed the ball when close in.
In the second half, Liverpool looked more accomplished going forward yet still didnt create enough. Johnson was more creative down the right.
Sparta werent completely asleep as they got off a header wide. Johnson was in on the act again and when through pehaps should have shot with his left but instead attempted a poor curl with the outside of his right. Reina was called into action soonafter as he saved low from a shot 10 yards out.
It was 0-0 and Dalglish decided to keep it that way when he brought in Skrtel for Ngog on 84 mins. This invited Sparta onto Liverpool however and Sparta had a lashed shot that just went past the post as Reina scrambled. But that was it, it finished 0-0 and set things up nicely for us for the 2nd leg. The tally at the end of the match read Sparta’s 13 attempts to our measly 3, all of them off target!!!!
That was a pretty bad performance from us. Dalglish cant be too pleased with it, although the result was okay in the end. It certainly shows a lack of cutting edge strength and depth in the squad. He will just have to write it down as an off day. All we can do is look forward to the return leg and know that we are in a good position to get through. Surely the players will play better the next time when back at Anfield ….
Surely?
Redspider
