Liverpool 1 Sparta Prague 0:A LATE header from Dirk Kuyt edged Liverpool into the last 16 of the Europa League to build an eight-match unbeaten run under Kenny Dalglish and, most importantly, improve the Anfield club's prospects of ending a tumultuous season with silverware.
Not that anyone should be booking trips to Dublin just yet.
With Steven Gerrard, Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll watching from the stands, this was a far-from-convincing European display by Liverpool, although, as was the case with their defensive display at Sparta Prague, Dalglish can argue the ends justified the means.
Until Kuyt’s 85th-minute breakthrough, however, this tie remained in the balance.
The goalless first leg left both sides with an incentive to attack and, mercifully, they took it. There was more incident in the opening 85 seconds at Anfield than for the duration of that non-event in Prague, with the Sparta left-back, Manuel Pamic, escaping with a clear handball inside his penalty area following a free-kick from Raul Meireles.
The Serbian referee, Milorad Mazic, did have the excuse of peering through a crowded penalty area at the incident, but the additional assistant referee was only yards away yet allowed play to continue.
Sparta were frequently undermined by a poor final touch while Liverpool’s weakness in front of goal was their ruthlessness, or lack of.
Sotirios Kyrgiakos could not be faulted on that score, having forced a fine save from Jaromir Blazek after beating three opponents to a Meireles corner and taking a smack to the mouth for his troubles. That’s the Vogue shoot ruined.
Meireles, however, skied over when Kelly’s cross fell at his feet six yards from goal and, worse still, Joe Cole pulled out of a 50-50 with the Sparta goalkeeper after he had parried David Ngog’s shot towards the England international.
Cole did force Blazek into an awkward save when cutting in from the left, but that was a rare end-product from the midfielder who, while looking sharp despite a recent knee problem, was again isolated on the margins.
With Ngog also a peripheral and weak figure, Dalglish’s team struggled to exert sustained pressure on a Sparta team whose threat faded as the contest wore on and were eventually beaten from a set-piece five minutes from time.
Kuyt, reprising a training routine that has paid dividends in the past, stood next to the Prague goalkeeper as Meireles whipped a corner on to the six-yard line before peeling away and glancing a header home.
Kuyt insisted afterwards that there was “more to come” from Liverpool this season.
“It took us a while to score but 1-0 is enough to go through so we’re happy with that. We also missed a couple of players so that’s a positive to take into the next round. There’s more to come,” said the Dutchman.
“It was a hard game and we should have finished it off earlier, but at the end of the day a win is all that counts.
“I thought we just had to keep going. We created the chances and it was just a matter of time to score the goal.”
The goal came at a good time for Kuyt, who said he was “positive” about new contract negotiations.
He added: “It’s already looking positive and hopefully I can tell some good news in one or two weeks.”
Dalglish, who has transformed Liverpool in such a short space of time, added: “I think we deserved it.
“We had a lot of chances and didn’t take them, but the boys deserve a lot of credit.
“They hung in really well and showed the determination and effort to get a result.”
LIVERPOOL: Reina; Agger (Skrtel 85), Kyrgiakos, Wilson, Kelly (Carragher 46), Meireles, Cole, Lucas, Poulsen (Spearing 65), Kuyt, Ngog. Subs not used: Gulacsi, Maxi, Pacheco, Jovanovic. Booked: Kelly, Carragher, Lucas, Poulsen.
SPARTA PRAGUE: Blazek; Repka, Brabec, Abena (Pekhart 78), Pamic (Keric 90), Sionko (Podany 73), Matejovsky, Kusnir, Vacek, Leonard Kweuke, Kadlec. Booked: Pamic, Matejovsky, Kweuke. Subs not used: Zitka, Kladrubsky, Husek, Zeman.
Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
