NUN’S ON THE RUN
In-form Darwin weighs in with a double
IT WAS the 1,000th goal of Jurgen Klopp’s reign at Liverpool and was up there with the best of them.
Darwin Nunez’s second for 1,001 wasn’t bad, either.
This was a double to remember after he added to Alexis Mac Allister’s early penalty as the Reds took total control of this Europa League last-16 tie.
The striker scored two stunners to put Sparta Prague to the sword and fire the Merseysiders all but through to the quarter-finals.
A Conor Bradley own goal in the second half gave the Czech side some hope but Luis Diaz restored the Reds’ three-goal advantage.
Then Dominik Szoboszlai made it a fantastic five in stoppage time, meaning next week’s second leg at Anfield is a mere formality.
Even though he went off after 50 minutes with Sunday’s crunch Premier League clash with Manchester City in mind, this night was about Nunez. His first was stunning.
The Uruguayan looked out of options as a counter-attack appeared set to fizzle out. But the Sparta defence backed off him 25 yards from goal.
That was a big mistake as the in-form striker put his foot through the ball and it flew over keeper Peter Vindahl.
What a moment as Klopp’s side reached the landmark figure under him but 1,001 was to come.
Nunez’s second was a half-volley from an angle that found the corner just before half-time.
The former Benfica striker has already surpassed last season’s tally as he’s now on 16 goals.
Nunez’s first in the 25th minute was perfectly timed, too, as Sparta started to put pressure on. Liverpool were leading thanks to an early Mac Allister penalty which he won himself and dispatched with ease.
Stand-in goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher had another impressive night deputising for the injured Alisson.
His save to deny Lukas Haraslin was the stand-out stop and Joe Gomez mopped up with a clearance off the line.
The night couldn’t have gone much better for Liverpool. Mo Salah even got minutes late on and had a goal ruled out by VAR.
Klopp only went for one change at the break, with Bradley replacing Gomez.
The Northern Irishman turned into his own net with his first touch as he tried to clear Veljko Birmancevic’s cross.
Ibrahima Konate was forced off with an injury and it looked like the night could turn sour for the visitors.
But good work from Bradley at the other end helped get the ball to Diaz and he found the net via a deflection.
Szoboszlai ensured the Reds took a four-goal lead back home when he broke into the area and fired in late on.
SPARTA PRAGUE (3-4-3): Vindahl 5; Sorensen 5 (Rynes 43, 6), Vitik 5, Krejci 5; Preciado 6, Solbakken 6, Kairinen 6 (Karabec 74), Zeleny 6; Birmancevic 7 (Tuci 74), Kuchta 6 (Olatunji 74), Haraslin 7 (Laci 65, 6). LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Kelleher 8; Gomez 7 (Bradley 46, 6), Konate 7 (Van Dijk 50, 7), Quansah 7, Robertson 6; Mac Allister 8 (Clark 65, 6), Endo 7, Elliott 7; Gakpo 6, NUNEZ 8 (Szoboszlai 50, 7), Diaz 7 (Salah 76). REFEREE: Jose Maria Sanchez (Spain) 7.