Liverpool withstood an early flourish from Porto to eventually breeze into the Champions League semi-finals with a 4-1 victory and set up a glamour tie with Barcelona.
Sadio Mane’s 26th-minute goal took the air out of the buoyant hosts while Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Virgil van Dijk joined in the fun in the second half to add the gloss on a fine European performance. Eder Militao briefly made it 2-1, but in truth the contest was wrapped up once Mane struck.
Our Liverpool ratings are below …
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3)
Alisson Becker – Steely resolve as Porto threw everything they had at Liverpool – which wasn’t much laced with quality – but the Brazilian coped admirably and with minimum fuss. 7
Trent Alexander-Arnold – Sensational – some would say De Bruyne-esque – pass to tee up Salah. Certainly made up for generally wayward long balls from the back – 7
Virgil Van Dijk – Strange to see Van Dijk being roughed up a touch by Marega. However, was usually there with the clearance when needed and conjured up yet another goal. 7
Joel Matip – Didn’t have the most comfortable of evenings, but clung onto important territory as Porto struggled to infiltrate the box. 6
Andy Robertson – Not at his marauding best, but kept it conservative for a reason as Liverpool completed the job in Portugal. 6
Georginio Wijnaldum – Couldn’t get to grips with the returning Hector Herrera in the middle of the pitch – his lack of energy is a big reason Liverpool struggled at times. 4
Fabinho – Ineffective with the ball at his feet but on a night when the Reds were hardly at their fluent best, was a terrier at the heels of the Porto attack. 6
James Milner – It is easy to see why he remains a Klopp favourite, especially for a knockout UCL tie in an intimidating atmosphere. Not loads of inspiration, but lots of pluck. 6
Sadio Mane – Guilty of a horrible miss having rounded Iker Casillas – but don’t hold it against him. Scored, assisted and made a whopping six tackles in an all-action display. 8
Mo Salah – The Egyptian was clinical off few enough chances in a way that he hasn’t been for the entirety of the season. A match-winner up there with the best of them. 7
Divock Origi – Surprise call quickly altered at half-time as Klopp brought Firmino on. Not up to scratch. 4
SUBSTITUTES
Roberto Firmino (46′) – Tale of two halves for the Reds’ attack, and Firmino was the main storyline. Back together with Mane and Salah, he brought an air of serenity to proceedings, topped off with a fine header. 8
Jordan Henderson (70′) – Came off the bench here, but his cameo solidified Liverpool’s midfield and his sumptuous cross set up Firmino. Looks like a natural partner to Fabinho. 7
Joe Gomez – (65′) On for Alexander-Arnold but didn’t register a single tackle, interception or clearance despite being on the field for an ample amount of time. 5
