Thiago scorcher keeps Liverpool Champions League run going

You imagine that when you attend a football match, particularly at a ground like Anfield, particularly on a Champions League evening, where traditionally Liverpool fans are determined to add to the atmosphere and spur on the players, bearing in mind the legendary European nights, against St Etienne, Dortmund, Barcelona, it’s somewhat peculiar not to have anything riding on the game, with the Reds not only already qualified for the knock-out stages but guaranteed to be group winners, and indeed Liverpool’s first half performance against Porto reflected the fact that Liverpool have already done what they needed to do.

 

However, on nights like this, Liverpool fans will still go home delighted that they turned up with memories to last because of two spectacular goals, from Thiago Alcantara and Mo Salah, that ensured a Liverpool victory, five wins out of five in the so-called group of death.

 

Thiago’s goal will live long in the memory. A weak free kick from the right from Alex Oxlade Chamberlain was headed out to the Spanish midfielder who caught it on the half volley in a controlled fashion, slashing the ball with the outside of the foot, skimming the ball with pace and accuracy across the grass into the corner of the net. A perfect strike, a brilliant goal from a player now finding his form for Liverpool, having arrived with a big reputation from Bayern Munich and not yet having lived up to it, injuries and the disruption of the pandemic having set him back.

 

Salah’s goal was less spectacular but oozed quality. Salah exchanged intricate passes with Jordan Henderson on the right of the Porto area before a beautiful shimmy from the Egyptian left the defender on the floor. Salah then deceived the keeper into thinking he was going to curl the ball into the left of the goal, only to strike it low and hard in the near post.

 

Porto did have chances in the first half to score, but it would be wrong to assert that they were on top or that Liverpool were on the ropes. Liverpool, too, had opportunities to score and, indeed, apart from the two that were put in the back of the net, the Reds had two disallowed after VAR ruled them offside. Sadio Mané’s goal – a one-on-one that he calmly slotted past the keeper – was particularly marginal. Taki Minamino was the other unlucky player to have a goal ruled out.

 

Lots of changes for tonight’s lineup – Ibrahima Konate in for Virgil van Dijk, Neco Williams for Trent Alexander Arnold, Tyler Morton for Henderson, Minamino for Diogo Jota – and it was the two academy products who shone most. Williams looked solid defending and threatening going forward, while Morton, making his first start for Liverpool seniors, having made his debut with a substitute appearance against Arsenal at the weekend, was impeccable, and looked a better prospect than his contemporary, Curtis Jones.

 

Next up for the Reds is Southampton at home in the Premier League. The final game in the Champions League group will be away at AC Milan.

Liverpool thrash Porto to top Champions League group

Liverpool couldn’t have asked for a more comfortable Champions League evening as they crushed Porto 5-1 in the Estadio do Dragao and put themselves on six points after two games in Group B, labelled the group of death – but not proving so for the Reds – given the strength of teams involved, Atletico Madrid beat AC Milan 2-1 in the other game tonight, Luis Suarez scoring a last-minute penalty to secure the win for the Spanish champions.

Jurgen Klopp played the same 11 that drew against Brentford on Saturday, a surprise given that Liverpool have a giant game coming up at the weekend against title rivals Manchester City, except that Trent Alexander Arnold was replaced at right-back by James Milner after the former went down yesterday with a groin injury. 

Speaking before the Porto game, Klopp seemed to imply that Trent wouldn’t be available for Sunday’s game, which might take away from Liverpool’s offensive play, but given the torrid time Raheem Sterling has subjected the Reds left-back to in recent matches between the two clubs, having Milner or Joe Gomez – who came on for Milner after 64 minutes – in that position might provide extra defensive solidity for the Merseysiders.

Indeed, in his early part of his time at Liverpool, in the big games, Klopp was prone to leaving Trent out and playing Gomez in his place. Later, the Reds manager decided that Trent’s attacking play was so vital that it was worth taking the risk with his defensive deficiencies.

As for tonight’s game, Liverpool took control after 10 minutes and on 18 minutes Curtis Jones – tonight’s man-of-the-match, with four assists – picked up the ball on the Porto left, drove into the box, let off a curling shot which keeper Diogo Costa weakly parried into the centre of the goal and Mo Salah nipped in ahead of the defender to poke the ball home.

The goal provoked no reaction from Porto. Liverpool continued to dominate and on 45 minutes deservedly scored a second when Milner’s low cross from the Liverpool right again prompted indecisive keeping from Costa, who let the ball skid right across his area where Sadio Mané was waiting for a tap in.

The second half followed the same pattern as the first, with Porto not able to lay a finger on Liverpool, who created and squandered chances, with Diogo Jota being particularly profligate. Inevitably, on 60 minutes, the Reds scored a third. Again, Curtis Jones was heavily involved, winning the ball in his own half then driving towards the Porto goal where he calmly found the free Salah, who swept the ball passed the advancing keeper.

The game seemed to be over and Klopp rang the changes, bringing on Gomez for Milner, Roberto Firmino for Salah and Taki Minamino for Mané. Unfortunately, the substitutions seemed to disrupt Liverpool and on 74 minutes Porto scored a fine goal after Vieira crossed from the Porto right and Taremi twisted his neck to get his forehead on the ball and power it passed Alisson Becker.

For a couple of minutes, it seemed that Porto had the momentum to stage a comeback; but then a hopeful long ball from Jones found Firmino 30 yards out and with Costa inexplicably rushing out of his area, Liverpool's Brazilian striker slid the ball into the open goal.

Four minutes later, a Jones volley from the edge of the area ricocheted after a Porto defender into the path of Firmino, who calmly slotted the ball into the back of the net, scoring his second and Liverpool’s fifth.

Reds crush Porto to set up Barca semi-final

It was a fight before it became a procession and, in keeping with the story of the season so far, nothing could derail Liverpool from their objective in Porto. Resilient and reactive when necessary, incisive and clinical when opportunity arose; the attributes that make Jürgen Klopp’s team feared throughout Europe were all on display as they marched into the Champions League semi-finals for a second year running. Messi awaits.

Liverpool have never lost to Porto. Under Klopp, they have never lost a two-leg European tie either and that impressive sequence, allied to outstanding quality, will fuel belief they can reach a third European final under the manager who has revitalised their club. Barcelona represent a formidable obstacle to that ambition and a captivating semi-final complete with Anfield reunions for Luis Suárez and Philippe Coutinho. Liverpool will savour the prospect.

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Reds in driving seat after Porto win

Jürgen Klopp appeared to indulge in promotional duties for Uefa when giving this quarter-final a billing Liverpool’s recent history with Porto did not merit. The Liverpool manager had suggested the reunion would be awkward against an opponent with revenge on the mind. It may not have been a rout but it was another comfortable win that sets his team on course for the semi-finals of the Champions League.

Had Porto forward Moussa Marega converted even one of several presentable chances for an away goal then Klopp’s pre-match prophecy would have come true. He squandered them all. Naby Keïta, courtesy of a deflection, and Roberto Firmino, at the end of a fine team goal, converted their chances to give Liverpool a commanding first-leg advantage. It said everything about their control of the quarter-final that Klopp was able to withdraw Firmino and Sadio Mané in preparation for Sunday’s vital Premier League game against Chelsea.

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Klopp talks up importance of Porto tie

Jürgen Klopp has said Liverpool are too hungry for success to consider rationing their efforts in the Champions League. With his team hosting Porto on Tuesday in the last eight, Klopp is not entertaining the notion that taking that tournament lightly will help Liverpool stay above Manchester City on the domestic front. Yes, Liverpool crave the Premier League title. But they are greedy.

“We are very ambitious,” said Klopp after his team came from behind to win 3-1 at Southampton on Friday. “We have to recover and then we will make the lineup for Porto. We will try everything. It’s at Anfield, it’s a quarter-final, it’s a big one for us.”

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Wijnaldum cautious after Reds draw Porto in CL quarters

Georginio Wijnaldum reflected on Liverpool’s pairing with FC Porto in the Champions League quarter-finals and outlined why he believes it’ll prove a 'different' tie to the meeting last term. 

The Reds overcame the Portuguese champions en route to reaching the final in Kiev in 2017-18 at the last-16 stage, winning the first leg emphatically by scoring five times without reply at the Estadio do Dragao. 

A goalless draw at Anfield in the return confirmed Jürgen Klopp’s side progression into the last eight – and while Wijnaldum feels their performance away from home was one of their finest of the campaign, he contends the complexion of the contest will be much changed this time around.

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