Nunez has the 'attitude' a striker needs to have, says Klopp

Darwin Nunez's brace brought Liverpool within sight of the Europa League quarter-finals as they clinched a 5-1 win in the first leg of the last-16 phase at Sparta Prague on Thursday.

His dipping shot from long range outfoxed Peter Jensen to make it 2-0, before the Uruguayan smashed home Mac Allister's through ball in first-half stoppage time.

"He has the most important attitude a striker needs to have in these chances," Klopp said of Nunez. "He's just a constant threat and he gives us some spaces and areas and options."

Conor Bradley replaced Joe Gomez at half-time and his first act was to fire into the top corner of his own goal one minute into the second half. But Luis Diaz's deflected effort quickly restored Liverpool's three-goal cushion.

Mohamed Salah made his comeback from a hamstring injury as a substitute and thought he had marked his return with a goal, but a VAR review disallowed his strike for offside. Instead, it was another substitute Dominik Szoboszlai who fired in the fifth in stoppage time.

 

March 7, 2024