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Joe Cole may have the ability to open up a can of beans but it was Dirk Kuyt who cut the mustard for Liverpool.
The Dutchman's header five minutes from time - his first since netting against Trabzonspor in August - had Anfield rocking on a night which had largely lacked entertainment to the point of being in danger of replicating Dalglish's unspectacular continental bow as Reds manager last week.
Penalty appeals were waved away when Manuel Pamic appeared to handle the ball in his own area in the opening minutes whilst Libor Sionko proved a menace to Liverpool's defence as tested Pepe Reina before feeding Vaclav Kadlec, whose header also forced a save from the Spaniard.
But Reina was spared indignation shortly after by Danny Wilson as he averted danger when the stopper, exemplary in the first leg, uncharacteristically flapped at a Kamil Vacek corner.
Misplaced passes went hand-in-hand with the Reds' inability to find the net as David Ngog often proved frustrating when gifted opportunities which should have made defeating the reigning Czech champions a mere formality.
Jaromir Blazek was the busier of the goalkeepers throughout but was untroubled as Sotirios Kyrgiakos, Raul Meireles and particularly Ngog were all guilty of spurning perfect close-range opportunities to open the scoring.
Until recently the Frenchman had acted as a cheap and cheerful solution to the lack of firepower at Anfield. But the arrival of Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll may see him deemed surplus to requirements this summer.
His point-blank strike at Blazek after Kuyt squared the ball following a cross-field ball from Daniel Agger, once again marauding out of defence, will possibly serve as an example as to why his ambitions for a regular first-team place could be brought to an abrupt end.
Cole too had a point to prove. His high-profile Anfield switch last summer was seen by some as a coup for the club's erstwhile ailing hierarchy in attracting one of English football's biggest assets, but the reality has been somewhat muted with just 20 appearances in all competitions.
And failing to release the trigger when presented with chances, gift-wrapped by Kuyt and Lucas respectively, has done little to allay fears that his transfer from Chelsea may prove to be a costly exercise other than offering Liverpool back-up options in Steven Gerrard's absence.
By contrast, Kuyt proved a revelation in the secont half as he terrorised Sparta's defence on numerous occasions, providing perfect goal scoring opportunities for his misfiring team mates in the process.
The striker-turned-winger's tireless work ethic was finally rewarded on 85 minutes when he produced a carbon copy of his effort against Everton last month as he powered home from a Meireles corner to put Liverpool on course for a last 16 meeting with Braga.
"We knew from the first game that they are a strong physical side. We knew they were going to be physically fit, if not match fit," said Dalglish.
"I think the boys deserve great credit for their determination and effort in getting a result. It was superb the way they took pride in themselves and the club. That was rewarded at the end with the goal. We are delighted to go through but the game was more less what we expected.
"They made it very difficult for us tonight. In the first half we had a few scares and in the second half there was a header that went right across the face of goal.
"It was a difficult game for us over both legs but I think we deserved to win."
LIVERPOOL (4-2-3-1): Reina; Kelly (Carragher 46), Kyrgiakos, Agger (Skrtel 85), Wilson; Poulsen (Spearing 65), Lucas; Kuyt, Meireles, Cole; Ngog. Subs (not used): Gulacsi, Jovanovic, Pacheco, Maxi.
Goals: Kuyt (85)
Booked: Kelly (30), Poulsen (34), Carragher (58), Spearing (90+2)
SPARTA PRAGUE (4-5-1): Blazek; Kusnir, Repka, Brabec, Pamic (Keric 90); Sionko (Podany 73), Matejovsky, Vacek, Abena (Pekhart 78), Kadlec; Kweuke. Subs (not used): Zita, Podany, Kladrubsky, Zeman, Husek, Kerik.
Booked: Pamic (31), Matejovsky (40)
Attendance: 42,949
Referee: Milorad Mazic (Serbia)
MATCH STATS
Possession: Liverpool 48% Sparta Prague 52%
Shots: Liverpool 21 Sparta Prague 9
On target: Liverpool 10 Sparta Prague 4
Corners: Liverpool 7 Sparta Prague 5
Fouls: Liverpool 15 Sparta Prague 2
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