When Liverpool FC host Sparta Praha on Thursday night in UEFA Europa League action, it’ll be dead rubber. Liverpool have a 5-1 lead on aggregate, from the first leg of the tie, so this match is just a mere formality. The AC Sparta Prague clash in midweek is sandwiched in between two massive matches, in different competitions, against the Manchester clubs.
So this matchup would be the time to do squad rotation and play the kids anyway, but the Reds will have to do so for another reason. They will have 10 players unavailable this midweek, so indeed “extenuating circumstances” remain at the Merseyside club.
Liverpool FC vs Sparta Praha FYIs
Kickoff: Thurs. Mar. 7, 8pm, Anfield, Liverpool, UK
Competition: UEFA Europa League Round of 16 Leg 2/2
Aggregate: Liverpool leads 5-1
Liverpool Preview Content: Starting XI Prediction Team News 1 Team News 2
Transatlantic Passage: How the Premier League Redefined Soccer in America: LINK
Maybe Virgil van Dijk and Mo Salah get some minutes off the bench here, just to stay fresh. Or perhaps they do in fact start, but come off early. The following lineup will be very strange, to say the least. We’ve seen Jurgen Klopp out midfielders and defenders up top in the forward line lately, at times.
We’re predicting that to happen again in this match.
Liverpool FC Starting XI Prediction at Sparta Praha (UEL Round of 16)
Adrian; Conor Bradley, Jarrell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas; Bobby Clark, Alexis Mac Allister, James McConnell; Harvey Elliott, Dominic Szoboszlai, Kaide Gordon
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to Ravens Wire, part of the USA Today SMG’s NFL Wire Network. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and the Washington Times. You can follow him on Twitter.