Liverpool took the lead with 25 minutes on the clock at the Estadio do Dragao, with Sadio Mane hitting a shot which somehow found its way beneath FC Porto goalkeeper Jose Sa.
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What’s most impressive in these tables is that Liverpool did not lose a single game 2013/14 season when all three of them started the game.
They also scored a goal apiece in Liverpool’s 4-3 win over Manchester City which helped inflict a first Premier League defeat of the season on Pep Guardiola’s side.
“We have to do that more often”, said the midfielder, who returned to the starting XI after sitting out the weekend victory at Southampton.
Former Dundee United star Andy Robertson had to rescue the match ball for a team-mate following his Champions League debut on Wednesday night.
Their Achilles heel all season has been their defence, but if they’re drawn away from home first in their quarter-final and load up on goals in the manner they did against Porto it could become hard to peg them back over two legs.
“I’ve said many times I’m too long in the business to think anything is sorted before the final whistle is done”. With the score at 0-0, Moussa Morega, Porto’s Malian forward, was allowed to waltz into the penalty area with three Liverpool defenders staring blankly at each other, presumably in hope that a teammate would come and dispossess him. Why should I think that?
Jurgen Klopp’s side are the top scorers in this season’s competition and they showed all of their attacking prowess as Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino put the tie to bed before the second leg at Anfield.
Speaking at his post-match news conference on Wednesday night, Klopp said: “That he plays a good season, I recognise that already”.
“The way that he sort of controlled it with his head, sort of juggled the ball and converted with so much time, the time that the very best players have”.
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So far that trio have plundered 21 of Liverpool’s 34 goals since beginning their European campaign with a qualifier against Hoffenheim last August and their form has been so good that Lovren says they have given the squad the capacity to dare to dream.
