Liverpool beat Porto to line up Barcelona in Champions League semi-final – and the possibilities are delicious

Will Virgil van Dijk be able to emboss the conviction on Merseyside that he is the best defender in the world by barricading Lionel Messi?

And to Barcelona, Liverpool proceed. What a contest that should be in less than a fortnight; a tie which throws up so many intriguing questions. Will Virgil van Dijk be able to emboss the conviction on Merseyside that he is the best defender in the world by barricading Lionel Messi? Can Joel Matip’s size 12s move as quickly as Luis Suárez’s size 9s? Can Liverpool’s midfield outrun and overpower the resourcefulness of Barcelona’s, where Philippe Coutinho will feature for the first time against his former club? Does Barcelona’s defence have the collective speed to disturb Liverpool’s electrifying forward line?

Mohamed Salah knew before anyone else that Liverpool’s passage to Catalonia was confirmed. Perhaps his meeting there with Jordi Alba will prove defining? His higher level of form continued here – too fast, too wily and too tough for Alex Telles, supposedly the next in-line of the buccaneering Brazilian left backs. When he scored Liverpool’s second, the finish was as calm as you like.

While Salah can do many things with a football he cannot, however, see into the future. When Sadio Mane slid the Egyptian’s cross into the net mid-way through the first half, Salah’s first thought first to wander over to the technical area where a replay was showing on a monitor. This reflects his attention – it shows that he is always thinking.

Porto’s players had surrounded the referee by then, complaining about the injustices of the world, probably cursing VAR’s existence. Maybe they suspected the awful truth.

Yet only Salah knew for certain and a weird sequence of celebrations followed starting with him all alone, raising his hands into a night of pouring rain. When the news filtered across to Mane, he was near the circle with his palms on his hips but he still gave it some and a few players followed him. Liverpool were 1-0 up but without feeling the the ordinary sensations of advantage. Theirs was enormous. Porto needed four now and that would later extend to four because of Salah’s brilliance.

It was an impossible task, considering the last opponent to inflict a defeat like that on Jurgen Klopp’s team were Tottenham’s standard 18 months ago and that was when Liverpool were nowhere near as formidable as they are now. Considering too Liverpool had only been knocked out of Europe once in its history having taken a two-goal advantage into a second leg and that was in the 1965 when Inter Milan – supposedly with the special assistance of a French referee – won 3-0 at the San Siro. Considering for a third time, Klopp’s record as Liverpool’s manager, where he had never lost a European two-legged tie.

It was not quite the perfect night for Liverpool because they did concede, though Eder Militao’s header was probably merited for Porto over the course of both games having caused Liverpool problems with their determined ambition at Anfield and then again here. They had placed Liverpool under the grill until VAR’s intervention. Crosses into the box were abundant. Driving forward passes got Liverpool’s defence turning. There were headed clearances and blocks from outstretched legs. Klopp not happy with options given to his back line by the midfield and he prowled his technical area, telling Fabinho to up his intensity.

The conditions made the chances of a mistake more likely. It was so wet, the possibility of Kevin Costner sailing past on his trimaran with Dennis Hopper in pursuit increased. Yet Alisson’s handling on a filthy pitch was excellent throughout this period. He did not ultimately extend his record but since his Champions League debut in September 2017, Alisson had kept more clean sheets than any other goalkeeper in the competition.

When Liverpool reached this stage last season, of course, Alisson was representing Roma, the team Liverpool trounced at Anfield before suffering a near implosion in Italy, back when Loris Karius’ reactions were more like a veteran slip fielder at a village green rather than a goalkeeper heading towards the Champions League final.

This is what makes Liverpool a different proposition to last, when they had to score lots of goals to secure victories. If they have to do it that way again, it will only be because of Barcelona’s genius rather than individual or collective shortcoming. In the Nou Camp and then back at Anfield, the possibilities are delicious.