On paper, Porto was a tricky tie for Liverpool in the Champions League Round of 16, with the first leg at the Estadio Dragao looming large as a test of their credentials.
It was a test they passed with flying colours, as goals from Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino and a hat-trick from Sadio Mane led Liverpool to a stunning 5-0 win.
Here’s a look at how the Liverpool players performed in Lisbon.
RATINGS
Loris Karius – Was largely untested as Porto were surprisingly toothless in attack, although he did end up making more saves than his opposite number. 7
Trent Alexander-Arnold – The youngster had a superb outing, winning his duel with Porto’s Yacine Brahimi, who was expected to give Alexander-Arnold a hard time. 8
Dejan Lovren – Had one of his most assured performances yet in Liverpool shirt, reading the game well from the back to snuff out any attack. 8
Virgil van Dijk – Showed exactly why Liverpool spent so much money on him, marshalling his defence superbly. 9
Andrew Robertson – Little to do for Robertson defensively, but he acquitted himself well when he had to, and was a threat going forward. 7
James Milner – He’s Liverpool’s best midfielder, and on Wednesday he showed it again. Was unlucky not to score when his shot hit the post to set up Salah’s goal. 8
Jordan Henderson – The Liverpool captain has gotten some stick recently, but on Wednesday he was his old solid self, helping control the midfield. 8
Georginio Wijnaldum – This was a performance that reminded everyone of how good Wijnaldum was last season. An all-action display. 9
Mohamed Salah – Mane’s hat-trick stole the headlines, but Salah had another moment that would raise comparisons with Lionel Messi. His goal was magical. 9
Roberto Firmino – At some point in time, Firmino is going to be talked about as one of the best strikers in Europe. Another goal and great display from the Brazilian. 8
Sadio Mane – Salah and Firmino have been the talk of the town recently, so Mane decided he should score a hat-trick to remind everyone of his class. 10
SUBSTITUTES
Joel Matip – Coming on at 4-0 up, Matip didn’t have much to do, with Liverpool in control of the game by that point. 6
Joe Gomez – Came on to replace the excellent Alexander-Arnold and had a solid cameo as Liverpool played out the game. 6
Danny Ings – Was on the pitch for all of five minutes, and managed to bag an assist as he set up Mane’s hat-trick goal. 7
