Ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash between Sparta Prague and Liverpool, Sports Mole looks at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two clubs.

A clash between two top-flight leaders will take place at the epet Arena on Thursday night, as Sparta Prague host Liverpool in the first leg of their Europa League last-16 battle.

Brian Priske's men - the reigning Czech Fortuna Liga champions - placed second behind Rangers in Group C to advance to the knockout round playoffs, where they would run out 6-4 aggregate winners thanks to a sensational 4-1 second-leg triumph.

Meanwhile, Jurgen Klopp's Reds - many people's picks to go all the way in Europe's secondary tournament - just about held off Toulouse to finish first in Group E, thereby earning a direct ticket to the last 16 as they continue to dream of quadruple glory.

Here, Sports Mole takes an in-depth look at the head-to-head record and previous meetings between the two sides.

Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt (L) celebrates his goal against Sparta Prague during their Europa League match on February 24, 2011 © Reuters

Head-to-head record

Previous meetings: 2
Sparta Prague wins: 0
Draws: 1
Liverpool wins: 1

Despite their status as European mainstays, Sparta Prague and Liverpool have seldom crossed paths in a competitive setting, and Thursday's first leg will mark just the third meeting between the two clubs in continental action.

The only previous two battles between the two outfits coincidentally came in the first knockout round of the 2010-11 Europa League, where there were 12 groups of four as opposed to the eight-section competition now, and the 24 qualified teams joined eight Champions League drop-outs in the last-32 draw.

As Group K winners - winning two and drawing four of their matches in the opening phase - Liverpool earned a date with the Maroons, who finished as runners-up to CSKA Moscow in Group F and hosted the Reds in their last-32 first leg in February 2011.

In the inaugural fixture between the English and Czech foes, a Liverpool team led by Sir Kenny Dalglish could only muster a goalless draw on Sparta's turf, as the front three of Dirk Kuyt, Maxi Rodriguez and David N'Gog failed to deliver in the absence of Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard.

The Reds still showed promise in what was Dalglish's first European game in charge of the club, who hosted Sparta at their Anfield base in the second leg just seven days later, and extra time was looming as the game remained goalless heading into the dying embers.

However, with 86 minutes on the clock, Raul Merieles delivered a delicious inswinging corner into the box, and Kuyt glanced a header into the far corner to seal a nervy 1-0 aggregate win for Dalglish's side in front of the Kop.

Braga would end Liverpool's Europa League journey in the last 16 that year, though, and the visitors head to the epet Arena having failed to win any of their last 11 away knockout games in the competition - a sequence stretching back to before they first locked horns with Sparta.

Meanwhile, their hosts' most recent continental clash with an English foe saw them beat Southampton 1-0 in the 2016-17 Europa League group stage, but they had gone 15 games without a win versus Premier League opposition beforehand and certainly possess the underdogs label for this two-legged affair.

Previous meetings

February 24, 2011: Liverpool 1-0 Sparta Prague (Europa League Last 32 Second Leg)
February 17, 2011: Sparta Prague 0-0 Liverpool (Europa League Last 32 First Leg)