Liverpool, the Premier League leaders, qualified for the last 16 with a game to spare in November, avoiding the play-off round in February by winning their group.
The Reds, who have won the competition three times and finished runners-up in 2016, are still competing for four trophies this season and will meet Chelsea in the League Cup final on Sunday.
Liverpool‘s sole prior meeting with Sparta Prague was in the last 32 of the 2010-11 Europa League, where they won 1-0 on aggregate thanks to Dirk Kuyt’s late second-leg goal.
West Ham, who also qualified for the penultimate round of group games, won the Europa Conference League last season after reaching the Europa League semi-finals in 2022.
They have already defeated German club Freiburg twice this season, 2-0 at home and 2-1 away in Group A.
Brighton, playing European football for the first time in club history, defeated Marseille in the final group game to win the group.
Roberto de Zerbi‘s side will face last season’s runners-up Roma, who are sixth in Serie A and defeated Feyenoord in a penalty shootout on Thursday.
Aston Villa, returning in Europe for the first time since the 2010-11 season, won the
group stage with 13 points from six games.
Leave a Comment