Full Time, Liverpool 1-0:
Yellow Card — Lucas — Tackle from behind.
Joe Cole creates a great chance in the area, but his poweful low shot is saved very well by Blazek, who surely can't be to blame for the scoreline.
Lucas commits a blatant tackle from behind and gets a yellow, and Sparta has a free kick in the final third.
Reina punches it away, and Joe Cole is released behind everybody on the break. His finish, however, goes wide.
Off the goal kick, Prague is called for a foul, and that should be it. The whistle blows and Liverpool advance to the round of 16.
90', Liverpool 1-0:
Keric on for Pamic.
Three minutes of added time.
Liverpool is now in the business of time-wasting, and, as you'd expect, the match has become quite open.
Liverpool is keeping the ball near the Prague goal well, with Ngog arguably deserving a penalty after going down in the Prague area.
Blazek, though, helps Ngog stretch his leg and get back up.
Prague makes their final change, Keric for Pamic.
86', Liverpool 1-0:
Goal — Kuyt — Header on a corner
Skrtel on for Agger.
Repka is called for a foul in a dangerous area, slightly to the left above Prague penalty area, near the edge of Meireles' range.
The kick goes for a corner.
The corner on the left is headed by Kuyt, he beats Blazek at the far post. GOAL! KUYT!
82', 0-0: Sparta goes on the attack dangerously, with a cross to the far post knocked down in the area before being cleared behind for a corner by Spearing.
Agger is still on the pitch, but he's still shaken up by an injury apparently.
Kyrgiakos has come back onto the pitch with a wrap around his head, but Agger is now receiving treatment on the pitch.
78', 0-0:
Pekhart on for Abena.
Meireles sends a great ball to release Ngog on the right of the area, but Ngog can't beat Blazek from the tough angle.
The subsequent corner is cleared easily.
Kyrgiakos is bleeding from the face — increasingly so to the point that he has to be treated on the sideline. Looks like he took some head to head contact on the last corner.
Kuyt and Cole combine for a very good chance in the area, as Cole's low cross from the left was struck by Kuyt on target, but Blazek made a good save.
Daniel Agger, now, appears to be shaken up after a foul in the Liverpool half.
74', 0-0:
Sionko off for Podany.
Kuyt flagged for offside on a half chance.
The teams exchange possession disjointedly — as has largely been the case the entire match.
Kuyt makes a run up the right in space, and he sends a ball across goal for Cole, but the ball is slightly too heavy and Cole can't head it on goal.
Liverpool wins a corner, but it is taken poorly and clearled easily.
70', 0-0:
Liverpool has a flurry of chances in the final third, as a ball falls to Kuyt at the top of the area on the left. His shot, though, is blocked and Cole's ball back in comes to nothing.
At the other end, Prague creates some dangerous possession and Matejovsky wins a corner when his shot from distance is deflected.
Sionko's kick, though, is cleared partially, and Pamic's subsequent cross is too deep at the far post — goal kick.
66', 0-0:
Yellow card — Kweuke — overreacting.
Spearing on for Poulsen.
Kuyt makes a dangerous run down the left, but his final ball misses everybody in the area, even as there was space and a numbers advantage.
Going the other direction, Kweuke is booked for overreacting to an incident.
Spearing comes on for Poulsen.
62', 0-0:
Sparta again organizes a strong attack, setting up in the final third and finding Matejovsky in space in the box. His ball across goal, however, was caught by Reina.
Joe Cole makes a run in the other direction, and after beating a number of Sparta defenders, he shoots, but with no power.
Shortly thereafter, Agger is fouled on a run in the Sparta half on the left. Meireles's free kick, though, is cleared after only some slight danger at the far post.
58', 0-0:
Carragher — yellow card — trip from behind.
Sionko is down injured, but he eventually walks off, and Liverpool kick it to Blazek to reset.
Matejovsky finds Kadlec in the area, but Kyrgiakos cuts out the dangerous run for a corner.
The corner, however, is partially cleared easily, and the eventual cross back in by Prague is poor and results in a goal kick.
Carragher barely touches Abena and gets booked for a tackle from behind.
53', 0-0:
Meireles sends an amazing longball for Kuyt which finds him behind the defense. He tees up Ngog on the layback right in front of goal, and Ngog completely mishits it — terrible miss.
Sparta Prague wins a free kick (Kyrgiakos) right above the area, dead center. Matejovsky's kick hits the wall, as does his rebound, and Liverpool clears.
49', 0-0:
Carragher on for Kelly (Minor injury)
Liverpool has a chance to break with Ngog, Cole and Kuyt, but Sparta manage to go get back in time.
Just moments later, Ngog has a similar run that is just cut out at the final moment after he was behind the defense down the center of the pitch — very close.
A longball is knocked down right above the area which Meireles volleys, but he is slightly off target.
Half, 0-0:
Two minutes of added time.
The game has opened up in the final minutes of the half, but not to any end — just box to box running and fouls.
Lucas is called for a foul in midfield.
Off the free kick, Prague dangerously runs forward, and Kusnir receives the ball at his feet in the area in space, but his effort is poor.
At the other end, Lucas takes a shot from distance. He strikes it well, but it veers wide of the post.
Meireles is fouled in the Liverpool half after each team spoils what looked like a promising counterattack with a poor final ball.
The free kick is cleared long, and the half ends.
42', 0-0:
Yellow card — Matejovsky — complaining.
Kelly makes another of his lengthy runs and gets a cross in, which results in a corner. Sparta, though, clear it partially. Wilson sends it back into the area, but Blazek collects.
Kweuke commits a foul in the Liverpool half, and Matejovsky complains, resulting in a yellow card.
Carragher is apparently getting ready to come on for Kyrgiakos, who has taken a few bumps.
Poulsen commits a foul in midfield.
38', 0-0: Sparta Prague have numbers forward again and break down the left, but they manage to get back on defense.
They counter with numbers themselves after a great longball to Kuyt. He finds Ngog alone in front of goal, but Blazek saves. The rebound falls near Cole,but Blazek punches it away before he can shoot — great work by Blazek.
Liverpool create another promising attack through Cole and Wilson down the left, but the ball in for Ngog results in the offside flag.
34', 0-0:
Yellow Card — Pamic — Blatantly poor tackle.
Yellow Card — Poulsen — Poor tackle.
Ngog is fouled blatantly in midfield by Pamic for a yellow card. The set piece reaches Agger at the far post, but it is cleared thereafter.
Kweuke makes a run on a counter, but instead of passing to one of two open options on the break, he shoots from distance and is blocked.
Poulsen is booked for what was an advantage play after his mistake that led to the break.
30', 0-0:
Kelly — Yellow Card — Poor tackle
Blazek makes a mess of a clearance and concedes a deep throw for Liverpool. Kelly throws it to Kuyt, who loses out for a goal kick.
Kelly is called for a foul tracking back into his half after a Poulsen mistake. The kick, however, is well long.
26', 0-0:
The trainers come on for Meireles, but he walks off on his own power holding his shoulder, and then quickly comes back on the pitch.
Liverpool makes another run forward, as Joe Cole gets a well-struck shot off at the top of the area, saved by Blazek.
Shortly thereafter, Kuyt nearly beats Blazek to a ball into the area — the pressure is on now.
22', 0-0:
Kuyt wins a corner on the right of the area — Liverpool is now in a better spell.
Ngog gets his head on the corner, but Blazek collects it easily.
After the clearance, Liverpool wins a foul in their own half.
Kelly goes forward and makes a great cross in from the right, but Joe Cole heads it way off target from right in front of goal.
Sparta win a corner after a series of runs up the left. Reina ends up totally out of position on the corner, and it falls to the feet of a Sparta player at the far post, but luckily, it isn't finished and Liverpool escape.
Going in the other direction, a cross is sent to Meireles alone in front of goal, but he skies the chance over the bar and remains down on the pitch.
18', 0-0:
Sparta makes another run forward, creating space in the Liverpool half, but the incursion leads to a counter and Sparta foul. Kyrgiakos comes forward for it, but Sparta clears.
Sparta, in truth, have had much the better of the match thus far.
Kelly makes a lengthy run down the right and wins a corner. Kyrgiakos gets his head on it, and Blazed makes a good save low at the far post.
Meireles' subsequent corner goes for a goal kick.
14', 0-0:
Meireles and Poulsen link up to attack down the center, but the run comes to an end at the Sparta penalty area.
Liverpool commits a foul in midfield, which leads to Kadlec taking a shot from distance — well too high.
Shortly thereafter, a Sparta run results in a Kadlec header, on target and well taken, but saved by Reina.
Liverpool win a foul in the Sparta half, but it comes to nothing.
10', 0-0:
Liverpool again attacks up the left through Cole, but Sparta clear it back to midfield, where Meireles is fouled. The free kick into the box is cleared and a counter attack nearly unfolds.
The teams exchange in midfield before Liverpool attacks up the right with Kelly making a run. He crosses in to Meireles, but his shot from the top of the area is well off target.
Lucas commits a foul in midfield, and the ball finds Kusnir down the right. The cross in is well taken, but Sionko's header is high.
6', 0-0: Joe Cole makes a run down the left, and his cross in nearly goes into goal accidentally.
Wilson sends a great ball forward for Cole, and he lays it back to Poulsen. Poulsen's ball is high and goes to Blazek.
Sparta wins a foul near midfield, and they send players forward to the area, but the kick is too long.
3', 0-0:
Controversy unfolds right after kickoff, as Pamic inadvertantly commits a handball in the area, but nothing is called.
7 a.m. ET: With Liverpool's European season on the line, the Reds will likely have to make a go of it without their captain, as Steven Gerrard does not appear to be fit in time for Thursday's second leg Europa League tie against Sparta Prague.
The first leg was perhaps Liverpool's most boring of the season, a 0-0 draw without a single shot on target.
Now, in order to advance, Liverpool must win — a draw won't be good enough.
Daniel Agger is fit and will be back in the side after recovering from a hamstring injury.
Kenny Dalglish is confident that his side will prevail in what is only his second ever European match — and his first at Anfield.
"Anfield has had some memorable evenings. European nights are always special for many clubs, but certainly for this club. Tomorrow night is obviously an earlier kick-off than what we're used to and it will take a bit of adjustment from the players and the fans also, but I'm sure that won't deter them from giving us their full support," he said, according to Fanhouse.
"We've got to get them on side early doors. The responsibility is on us to go and win the game, but fortunately for us that's nothing new – the responsibility has been on us many times to go and win games."
The task, however, will be a difficult one, facing a Sparta club that has nothing to lose and was able to generate a multitude of chances despite Liverpool's defensive play at the Generali Arena last week.
Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. ET.
Liverpool:
Pepe Reina (25), goalkeeper
Sotirios Kyrgiakos (16), center back
Daniel Agger (5), center back
Martin Kelly (34), full back
Danny Wilson (22), full back
Joe Cole (10), midfielder
Christian Poulsen (28), midfielder
Raul Meireles (4) midfielder
Lucas (21), midfielder
Dirk Kuyt (18), forward
David Ngog (24), forward
Substitutes:
Peter Gulacsi (42)
Jamie Carragher (23)
Martin Skrtel (37)
Maxi Rodriguez (17)
Jay Spearing (26)
Milan Jovanovic (14)
Dani Pacheco (12)
Sparta Prague:
Jaromir Blazek (29), goalkeeper
Tomas Repka (2), defender
Erich Brabec (21), defender
Martin Abena (38), defender
Libor Sionk (7), midfielder
Kamil Vacek (25), midfielder
Ondrej Kusnir (13), midfielder
Leonard Kweuke (9), forward
Vaclav Kadlec (14), midfielder
Substitutes:
David Zitka (1)
Jiri Kladrubsky (15)
Lubos Husek (27)
Martin Zeman (22)
Jakub Podany (5)
Tomas Pekhart (41)
Andrej Keric (40)
