You could almost picture Erik ten Hag hiding behind his sofa at home, terrified of how Manchester United may be destroyed on Sunday, as Liverpool players lined up and alternated to hammer the ball past hapless Peter Vindahl in the Sparta Prague goal.

The ruthless clinicality with which Jurgen Klopp’s team destroyed Sparta and reduced the Czech leaders to Sunday league fodder made Manchester City’s point from last weekend’s match, winners of the Treble, appear extremely valuable. Next, though, is a trip to fierce rivals Manchester United on Sunday, where the travelling Kop will be made up of 9,000 Scousers. If things continue this way, the anticipated demolition project at Old Trafford may happen sooner than anticipated.

For the sake of Ten Hag, let’s hope he didn’t watch the first fifteen minutes or so, as Liverpool scored four goals in the first fourteen minutes thanks to goals from Darwin Nunez, the returning Mohamed Salah, young Bobby Clark, and Cody Gakpo.

This was the ideal evening for Klopp, who struck a balance between resting his main players, providing minutes to those who needed them, and allowing the Kindergarten Kop—whose most recent graduate, Mateusz Musialowski, earned his Reds debut—more opportunities.

Liverpool booked their place in the Europa League quarter-finals after thrashing Czech side Sparta Prague 6-1

Liverpool’s Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez opened the scoring at Anfield after just seven minutes before Bobby Clark (above) slotted home his first for the club

Dominic Szoboszlai fired in the fifth with the help of a wicked deflection  

However, as has been the case frequently throughout the Egyptian’s time on Merseyside, especially in light of his injury-plagued 2024, the night belonged to Salah. 

For the seventh straight season, he made his first start since New Year’s Day and added a hat-trick of assists to his season total of 20.

In order to maintain his conditioning for the first 90 minutes of the game after many months, Salah was even told to quit defending later in the game. “A phenomenal player,” Klopp remarked. Because of his experience, Mo is able to recover during the game.

It was the first time I had ever directed a player to stop defending! Bobby (scoring): It’s great to watch the lads grow up. It was a legitimate show. Everyone may return home with a reasonable heart rate because this was not as nerve-wracking as usual. The game on Sunday will be different.

Only seven more Liverpool games will be managed by Klopp at Anfield, which is why even this routine match—which was already decisively won—felt like an event not to be missed. Reviving fans with his farewell announcement feels like a masterful move.

Even if Klopp’s time on Merseyside is coming to an end, his club isn’t slowing down—if anything, they’re becoming more formidable.

While praise is deserved, the scoreline presents this as one of the season’s best performances; yet, Sparta’s performance was horrible.

Though at least two of the goals were directly Sparta’s fault—Salah and Clark alternated in stealing possession and feeding the other for a tap-in—the difference in skill was seismic. The stadium announcer mistook Clark for his father Lee as he celebrated his maiden goal with the Reds.

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Mo Salah had a goal and a hattrick of assists on a night where Liverpool ran riot 

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Reds manager Jurgen Klopp was delighted as he watched his side star in their biggest win of the season

It was a long evening for Sparta Prague goalkeeper Peter Vindahl who conceded six times.Nunez had earlier fired Liverpool ahead with a powerful near-post finish after canny work from Dominik Szoboszlai. 

The Uruguayan, who was participating in his 47th match of a long season, was in excellent scoring form, but he later produced a typical howler by missing a five-yard shot.

This was a night to develop what Klopp refers to as “rhythm,” together with fitness and confidence, and Salah demonstrated this as he advanced his injury recuperation following two substitute appearances, setting up Gakpo to snap the Dutchman’s five-match goalless run.

Ironically or not, the visiting supporters were whipped into a frenzy when Veljko Birmancevic of Sparta pulled one back late in the first half, and Liverpool eased off a little after that. 

Sparta Prague players were stunned after conceding three goals within the first 10 minutes

Cody Gakpo finished neatly to end a run of five games without a goal 

Their fans still enjoyed their trip and sarcastically cheered every pass their side made.

But any hopes of the best comeback in football history did not last long as Szoboszlai took his side’s tally for the tie into double figures early in the second half, before Gakpo diverted substitute Harvey Elliott’s shot goalwards for Liverpool’s sixth.