Liverpool vs Porto, Champions League draw: What Jurgen Klopp can expect from the Portuguese champions
Everything you need to know about Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final opponents
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Your support makes all the difference.Liverpool have drawn Portuguese giants Porto in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Liverpool advanced to the last eight with a commanding 3-1 aggregate win over Bayern Munich in the last-16 after two goals from Sadio Mane and one from Virgil Van Dijk saw the Reds win 3-1 in Germany following a 0-0 draw in the first-leg.
The Merseyside club came second in their group to advance to the knockout stages while they currently sit second in the Premier League with their best chance of ending their top flight title draught, last winning the First Division in 1990.
Porto got to the last eight by overturning a 2-1 last-16 first leg deficit against Roma, winning the second leg 3-1 to run out 4-3 winners on aggregate against the Italian side. Porto topped their group with five wins from six and a total of 16 points.
The first leg will be played at Anfield on 9 or 10 April before Liverpool travel to Portugal for the second leg on 16 or 17 April. But what do Liverpool need to know about Porto?
Key player
Moussa Marega: Malian forward Marega has had a wonderful time of it in the Porto side since becoming a first-time regular last season, scoring 23 goals in all competitions last campaign and 17 already in this one. Marega has scored six times in the Champions League this season, coming in six consecutive appearances, making him the joint third highest scorer and his blend of power and pace make him a huge threat and have earned him the nickname of the ‘Malian Mane’.
Champions League record
Porto have won the Champions League on two occasions, in 1987 (when it was the European Cup) and in 2004 with Jose Mourinho’s famous side. Porto have only once made it to the quarter-finals in the previous five years before now, in 2015, having been knocked out in the round of 16 twice and the group stages twice.
Head-to-head
Liverpool are unbeaten in their last four fixtures against Porto, having last played them over two legs in the last 16 of the Champions League in 2018, beating the Portuguese side 5-0 away from home in the first leg before drawing 0-0 in the return leg.
Domestic form
Porto currently sit second in the Primeira Liga, level on points with first placed Benfica on 60 having lost to the league leaders two matches ago. The Portuguese giants are also in the semi-finals of the Taca de Portugal and currently lead Braga 3-0 after the first-leg while they lost on penalties to Sporting Lisbon in final of the Taca da Liga.
Odds to win
Liverpool: 4/1
Porto: 100/1
(Odds provided by Betfair)
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