The match that was played in the shadow of Manchester City vs Tottenham fixture took place at Estádio do Dragão in Portugal, where old enemies Liverpool and Porto met in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
(L-R) FC Porto goalkeeper Iker Casillas, Sadio Mane of Liverpool FC, Roberto Firmino of Liverpool FC during the UEFA Champions League quarter final match between FC Porto and Liverpool FC at Estadio do Dragao on April 17, 2019 in Porto, Portugal(Photo by VI Images via Getty Images)
Liverpool and Porto met each other in the playoffs of the Champions League last season when the Reds humiliated Porto in a 0:5 1st leg fixture at Estádio do Dragão, followed by a goalless draw in England. This time around, the end result was the same, however, we could argue Porto had legitimate chances of advancing after what we have seen in the first leg.
Looking back at the first leg match between the two sides, it was Liverpool who got themselves a 2-goal lead at Anfield before heading to Portugal for the 2nd leg. Grabbing a two-goal lead at home is a great advantage to have before heading into the 2nd leg, however, it’s not the result that would guarantee you the spot in semi-finals. Liverpool were well aware that Porto managed to upset Roma at home and got themselves into the quarter-finals, and while they were considered to be a weaker team than Liverpool, the Reds approached the game with respect to the Portuguese side, as they knew Porto was in the quarter-finals for a reason.
The match between Porto and Liverpool started off like we would have expected from a match of this proportion. It truly was a great football match from the first minute till the last. From the first minute, it was Porto who were the more dangerous team, and even came close to scoring a goal a couple of times, however, the Liverpool defence proved to be too tough of an opponent for Porto to defeat. The statistics alone, which show that Porto had 15 goal attempts and 6 shots on goal while Liverpool had only 3 goal attempts and 1 shot on goal prove that in the first 45 minutes wit Was Porto who were attacking and Liverpool who stood back and defended their goal. Despite the impressive work in the offensive end, Porto failed to produce a goal but instead conceded one in the 26th minute when Salah found Mane alone in front of the goal. With a 0:3 aggregate score, Liverpool more or less sealed the deal, which was seen in how the match continued. Porto lost their “cool”, and the match shifted in Liverpool’s favour.
PORTO, PORTUGAL – APRIL 17: Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp applauds the fans after the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final second leg match between Porto and Liverpool at Estadio do Dragao on April 17, 2019 in Porto, Portugal. (Photo by Craig Mercer/MB Media/Getty Images)
The second half was more or less in Liverpool’s favour, who managed to score 3 more times; in 65th, 77th and 84th minute. Porto on the other side scored a goal in the 69th minute, however, at that point, the aggregate score was already 0:4, so the goal did not leave any impact on their chances of advancing. All in all, the match ended as it was expected, with a dominant performance from Liverpool, who now have to face off against Barcelona in the semi-finals, and potentially the winner of Ajax v Tottenham in the grand finals on June 1st in Madrid.
