Good evening! Thank you very much for joining
Sports Mole for tonight's
Champions League showdown between
Liverpool and
Porto at Anfield!
Champions League nights are something extra special at this famous stadium, but the hosts should be in for a relatively scare-free evening tonight having done much of the hard work in the first leg, pulling off a remarkable 5-0 win at the Estadio do Dragao last month.
They still must complete the job tonight, though, so let's waste no time in checking out the team news from Merseyside...
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Karius; Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Henderson, Can; Lallana, Firmino, Mane
LIVERPOOL SUBS: Mignolet, Van Dijk, Salah, Klavan, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ings, Alexander-Arnold
PORTO STARTING XI: Casillas; Maxi Pereira, Felipe, Reyes, Diogo Dalot; Óliver, André André, Bruno Costa, Corona, Waris; Aboubakar
PORTO SUBS: José Sá, Ricardo Pereira, Luís Mata, Otávio, Sérgio Oliveira, Brahimi, Gonçalo Paciência
What can we make of those two teams, then?
Well, Jurgen Klopp said he might make "one, two or three" changes to his side, but he has actually brought in five new faces from the weekend win over Newcastle, although it is still a team which contains plenty of talent that would not look out of place if this was the first leg and the scoreline was still 0-0.
The most notable absentee of the night is Mohamed Salah, who is rested and left of the bench having scored 11 goals in his last 10 outings, 32 goals for the season and netted in each of his last seven appearances for the club. Adam Lallana replaces the Egyptian in the starting lineup tonight.
That is the only change from that deadly front three, though, as Roberto Firmino once again leads the line and
Sadio Mane - the hat-trick hero from the first leg - also continues.
Mane's form throughout the campaign has been overshadowed by that of Firmino and Salah, but he is certainly back amongst the goals now, having scored five times in his last five appearances across all competitions - including a hat-trick at the Estadio do Dragao.
© Offside
There is one change in midfield from the weekend win over Newcastle as Milner comes in for Oxlade-Chamberlain, having also featured alongside captain Jordan Henderson in the first leg.
Emre Can was unavailable for the trip to Portugal due to a suspension, but he is back tonight and once again starts for the Reds despite the ongoing uncertainty over his future. The way he is performing at the moment, Liverpool will be more and more desperate to keep him with each passing game.
The bulk of the changes come in defence as Klopp takes the opportunity to rest Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk and Robertson, all of whom have been in very good form of late.
The means returns to the starting lineup for Gomez, Lovren and Moreno, none of whom starting the weekend win over Newcastle or the first leg last month. Moreno, incidentally, is the only Liverpool player who is just one booking away from serving a ban.
As for the visitors, they come into this match suffering a number of key injuries, which only goes to make their task this evening all the more difficult.
Porto need goals tonight, of course, but they are without top scorer Moussa Marega - who has scored 20 goals in 24 league matches this season - due to a thigh injury. Tiquinho Soares is also absent due to injury, which is another significant blow for Porto considering her has scored seven goals in his last four league games.
Those absences mean that the return to fitness of Vincent Aboubakar has been very timely, with the striker coming off the bench joining Friday's win over Sporting following a spell out through injury.
Jesus Corona also made his return off the bench in this match and, like Aboubakar, is thrown straight into the starting lineup of an injury-hit Porto side tonight. He, along with Bruno Costa and Waris, will look to provide the support for Aboubakar.
In addition to missing their two most prolific goalscorers from recent months, Porto are also without their chief creator tonight as Telles misses out with a knee injury, having assisted 10 goals in the Primeira Liga this season - more than any other player.
Yacine Brahimi also features prominently on that list with six league assists, but he can only make the bench this evening as manager Sergio Conceicao makes nine changes from the first leg.
Maxi Pereira and Reyes are the only two players to keep their place from that first-leg thumping they received, with Felipe slotting back into the defence having been missing through suspension for last month's meeting.
There is also a notable change in goal as the vastly-experienced Iker Casillas is back between the sticks, having been left out of the first leg.
There are lots of changes for Porto, then, but
Jurgen Klopp's main message in the build-up to this match has been warning against complacency so he will still want a performance full of intensity from his side tonight.
Consistency has been an issue for Liverpool for some time now, but it is something they appear to have begun to stamp out of their game in recent months, and with it shown improved game management. Both of those will be important tonight if the hosts are to complete the job in a professional manner.
It would be unrealistic to expect a repeat of the first leg scoreline tonight, but it should also not be forgotten how impressive Liverpool were in that match, dealing Porto their heaviest ever home European defeat at a stadium which is notoriously difficult to win at.
If Liverpool fans needed any more reason to be confident of their place in the quarter-finals - and I doubt they do - then the stats will help; The Reds have won all 32 of their UEFA competition ties in which they have won the away first leg, losing just four of the second legs in the process.
© SilverHub
Only twice before have Liverpool ever registered a 5-0 first-leg win away from home in Europe, with one of those coming in their first ever European outing en route to an 11-1 drubbing of KR Reykjavik in the 1964-65 European Cup.
More recently, Liverpool beat FC Haka of Finland in the third qualifying round of the 2001-02 Champions League, but that memorable display at the Estadio do Dragao is the first time they have ever won an away first leg by such a margin in European competition proper.
The Reds come into this match now on a four-game winning run and with five wins and now defeats from their last six outings, bouncing back from successive shock defeats to Swansea and West Brom in January.
Liverpool have scored 18 goals in those six games too - an average of three per game - so they will be eager to continue that goalscoring momentum tonight ahead of a huge showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday - a match which could prove pivotal to who finishes second behind Man City this season.
Liverpool are the top scorers in this season's Champions League too, noticing 28 goals in just seven games since the beginning of the group stages - and that tally jumps to 34 goals when you include their qualifying wins over Hoffenheim.
Indeed, in terms of goals for and against, Liverpool's seven outings in the competition proper this season have yielded 34 goals - just under five per game - so they are certainly the team to watch if you want entertainment at the moment.
An English club-record 23 of those goals came in the group stages, including two 7-0 wins en route to finishing top of the pile ahead of Sevilla, Spartak Moscow and Maribor. The Reds went through at stage unbeaten - one of only three teams to do so - and 12 of their goals came here at Anfield, an average of three per game.
Indeed, Liverpool have been impressive here all season, losing just one of their 21 home games across all competitions. In European competition, meanwhile, the Reds have not been beaten here in their last 13 outings, stretching back to October 2014.
Liverpool have never lost by more than two clear goals at Anfield in the knockout stages of the Champions League, which makes Porto's hopes tonight look even bleaker as Klopp's side look to reach the quarter-finals for the first time since 2008-09.
Liverpool are five-time winners of this competition - most recently and most famously in 2005 - but they have not graced Europe's elite for some time. Once they do get to this stage, though, they usually make it further, winning four of their past five round-of-16 ties. The one exception did come against Portuguese opposition though, losing to Benfica as holders in 2005-06.
You will get astronomical odds on Porto following in the footsteps of their domestic rivals tonight, and that could be as much down to having to keep Liverpool at bay rather than their own task of scoring at least five times.
Liverpool have found the back of the net 105 times in all competitions this season, which coincidentally is exactly the same number of goals Porto have scored in 2017-18 too. It is the first time since 1986-87 that Porto have reached triple figures.
Porto have also scored the required tally of five or more goals on seven previous occasions already this season, including in their most recent away game and once in the Champions League against Monaco.
On neither occasion were they able to keep a clean sheet, though, and if the visitors still possess any slim hope of pulling off a miracle tonight then that clean sheet could be every bit as important as their efforts at the other end of the field.
Sergio Conceicao will not need reminding the scale of his side's task tonight as they look to eclipse even Barcelona's incredible comeback from this stage of last season's competition, with unsurprisingly no team having recovered from a 5-0 home first-leg deficit before.
Both managers stressed that the first-leg result could have easily been different on a different day, but as it is Porto arrive on Merseyside with very minimal chances of rescuing a place in the quarter-finals. It is just pride to play for now.
The first-leg defeat came so out of the blue for Porto that it would have been particularly hard to take. Things are going very well for them domestically, with Conceicao well on course to end Benfica's four-year reign and steer the club to their first title since 2012-13.
Porto currently boast a five-point lead at the top of the standings having dropped only eight points during an unbeaten league campaign so far. Indeed, that defeat in the first leg if their only one from their last 29 matches inside normal time, and one of only three in 41 matches all season, all of which have come in the Champions League.
Porto have won all four games since that defeat, though, and perhaps importantly have scored 15 goals in the process - although many of those came from the prolific strikers who are missing tonight's match through injury.
Porto have only won three of their last nine Champions League games, though, losing five in that run, which incidentally stretches back to a 5-0 win against English opposition - Leicester at home in last season's group stages.
Tonight's visitors finish second in Group G behind Besiktas to book their place in the last 16 for a second year in a row, but they haven't made the quarter-finals since 2014-15 having been knocked out by Juventus at this stage last season.
Indeed, Porto have lost six of their previous nine Champions League last 16 ties, including three of their last four - a record which will increase to four of their last five barring something truly remarkable tonight.
Porto have also only one won of their last five Champions League away games, although in all competitions they are currently on a three-match winning streak on their travels, scoring 12 goals in the process.
Indeed, excluding penalty shootouts the Dragons are unbeaten in their last 12 away games and have only lost one of 19 all season, which is actually fewer defeats than they have suffered in front of their own fans.
PREDICTION: Right, we're 10 minutes away from kickoff at Anfield, which means that it is time for a prediction!
Liverpool shouldn't have any problems this evening and, while Porto will be demanding a response to the first leg performance, the fact that they have made eight changes suggests that even they know this one is beyond them. Liverpool have stressed the importance of showing intensity and hunger in this game all week, so we're backing them to come away with another win, albeit not as emphatic as the first leg.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Liverpool 2-0 Porto
As if their hopes of pulling off a comeback weren't bleak enough, Porto have a dismal record in previous away ties against English opposition, losing 15 and winning none of their 17 past visits to these shores, while conceding 48 goals and scoring just 10 in the process.
That includes an ongoing run of five successive away defeats to Premier League opposition - all without scoring - the most recent of which was a 1-0 loss at the hands of Leicester in last season's group stage.
Porto have also lost seven of their 10 previous two-legged ties against English teams, most recently going down 6-1 on aggregate to Man City in the 2011-12 Europa League, and are without a win against Premier League opposition in a knockout tie since Jose Mourinho memorably ran down the Old Trafford touchline en route to them lifting the trophy in 2003-04.
By contrast, Liverpool have won six and lost just one of their previous nine home games against Portuguese clubs, with that solitary defeat coming against Benfica in 2005-06.
These two sides have faced off on five previous occasions, and Liverpool are yet to taste defeat having drawn two and won three of those contests.
The most recent at Anfield saw Torres, Gerrard and Crouch all score late goals to held Liverpool to a 4-1 win in the 2007-08 group stages, having drawn 1-1 in Portugal. The two sides also met in the quarter-finals of the 2000-01 UEFA Cup, when goals from Danny Murphy and Michael Owen handed Liverpool a decisive 2-0 win here at Anfield.
Right, the players are out and we're almost ready to go on Merseyside. Let's have a quick reminder of the team news...
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Karius; Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Henderson, Can; Lallana, Firmino, Mane
PORTO STARTING XI: Casillas; Maxi Pereira, Felipe, Reyes, Diogo Dalot; Óliver, André André, Bruno Costa, Corona, Waris; Aboubakar
KICKOFF: Here we go, then! Liverpool get us underway at Anfield!
Liverpool make an early break forward and Milner tests the defence with a cross for the first time, but it is comfortably dealt with.
Porto have their first thrust forward as Waris tries to slide the ball through for Aboubakar, but Moreno comes across to mop it up.
Liverpool have seen the majority of the ball in these opening exchanges, but there have been no chances for either side yet. Porto certainly aren't playing like a team urgent to get goals from the first whistle.
Good defending from Pereira as Can whips a cross into the box which Lallana is interested in. Pereira chest it back into the arms of Casillas, though.
Felipe pings a long pass over the defence and Aboubakar gets his toe to it inside the area having got the wrong side of Lovren and Matip, but he cannot bring it under his spell.
I mentioned that Porto are not playing with a great deal of urgency, but the same is true of Liverpool. They are not pressing with their usual intensity, which is perhaps understandable under the circumstances.
A note on Iker Casillas, who is playing his 171st Champions League game tonight - an incredible record for one of the game's greatest goalkeepers. It may well be his last two, with Porto having confirmed that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
This game very much has the feel of a dead-rubber at the moment. The atmosphere inside the stadium is good enough, but both sides have been rather pedestrian so far.
Almost a chance for Waris to race through on goal, but Karius is quickly off his line to mop it up.
CHANCE! Liverpool suddenly burst into action as Can slides the ball through to the overlapping Gomez, who swings a dangerous cross into the box. It narrowly eludes Firmino, but Mane somehow does manage to get there with a brilliant acrobatic effort, putting it narrowly over with a mid-air flick.
We're 20 minutes into this match now and that Mane effort is by far the closest we have come. It is still goalless in the night's other game between Real Madrid and PSG too, incidentally.
Jurgen Klopp is trying to increase the tempo from his side at the moment. The Reds have been in second gear at most so far and, while they may not need to go any higher than that to progress, Klopp still wants to see more from his side.
Liverpool have enjoyed 58% of the possession in the opening quarter of this match, but there hasn't been a great deal of the space which their attackers thrive in.
It just isn't happening for either side in the final third at the moment. Porto don't believe they can get back into this one, and Liverpool don't particularly need a goal. It is making for a pretty uneventful contest at the moment.
Better from Liverpool as Lallana darts down the right flank before swinging a cross into the middle which again Firmino is close to getting on the end of. Felipe does well to get it away, though.
It is noticeable that the likes of Mane, Lallana, Can and Milner have swapped flanks on a number of occasions already tonight. The hosts are looking to switch things around as they probe for a way through this Porto defence.
OFF THE POST! Liverpool are inches away from breaking the deadlock just past the half-hour mark! Moreno does really well in the left corner to work the ball back to Milner, who eventually drifts a cross over to Mane. A Porto defender misjudges it which allows Mane to get in behind, chesting it down before firing a low strike against the foot of the post.
This has been better from Liverpool in the last five minutes or so. They are asking more questions of the Porto defence now and their pressure is beginning to grow.
YELLOW CARD! Andre Andre is the first name in the book tonight for catching the heel of Moreno.
CHANCE! Milner drifts the resulting corner into the box and Lovren does really well to win the ball within a throng of Porto players, flicking his header onto the roof of the net.
Firmino slides a clever pass through the defence to find Mane inside the box, but the linesman's raises his flag immediately.
Just over five minutes remaining in this first half, and Liverpool are in control of the match at the moment. Karius has had very little to do so far.
Liverpool have upped the tempo on a few occasions tonight, and when they do Porto have struggled to deal with them. It hasn't happened often enough for Klopp's liking, though.
The first leg will go down as one of Liverpool's best European performances in a while, but this one will not. The hosts have still controlled the game, but you can certainly tell that not much is riding on it.
HALF TIME: Liverpool 0-0 Porto
The first half comes to an end at Anfield, then, and it was a pretty uneventful opening 45 minutes - although that was perhaps to be expected considering their first-leg advantage.
Liverpool controlled the majority of the possession and had the only two chances of the game, improving as the first half went on. All in all, though, it hasn't been a great watch so far.
The closest we have come to a goal came shortly after the half-hour mark when Milner floated a ball over the defence for Mane, who took advantage of a defensive error before taking it down on his chest.
The winger then unleashes a powerful low drive towards goal but, with Casillas beaten, Mane was unfortunate to see the ball come back off the inside of the post.
The only other chance of any note also fell to Mane, and it would have been a spectacular finish had he managed to turn Gomez's cross home.
The delivery was just too high for Firmino, but Mane somehow got his foot to it and acrobatically turned it towards goal with the outside of his boot. However, his effort skimmed just over the crossbar with Casillas again beaten.
As for Porto, they have offered very little going forward themselves and are playing like a team who know full well that they have no chance of getting back into this one.
It has been more like a training match than a Champions League knockout tie, but Liverpool are keeping a lot in the tank for Manchester United on Saturday.
KICKOFF: Porto get us back underway for the second half at Anfield. More goalmouth action, please!
CHANCE! Much better at the start of this second half from Liverpool! Henderson pings a pass over to Moreno, who in turn slides it down the channel for Lallana. The midfielder's low ball into the middle finds Milner, but he is at full stretch and can only slice his effort wide of the target.
Porto finally have a shot on goal, but it is never going to trouble Karius. Pereira lets fly from a long, long way out, and it is no surprise to see it end up a long way off target too.
Matip spreads the ball out nicely for Moreno, whose low ball into the middle finds Lallana. The England international chooses to dummy it, but no-one else is on his wavelength.
SAVE! Karius has his first save to make, and it is the first shot on target of the match too! Waris shows good strength to get away from Gomez and is then allowed room to go for goal from outside the area, but his low strike is kept out.
UPDATE: It is surely tie over at the Parc des Princes now, where Cristiano Ronaldo (who else?) has scored an away goal for Real Madrid to put them 1-0 up on the night against PSG and 4-1 up on aggregate. PSG need three.
It is still Liverpool who are asking the majority of the questions tonight, but the tempo has not risen much since the first half in truth.
One thing Liverpool have been a lot better at in recent months is managing games, and that is exactly what they are doing here. It isn't as easy on the eye as Klopp's usual rock n' roll football, but it has been Liverpool's biggest weakness in the past.
CHANCE! Liverpool suddenly break in behind the defence as Firmino races clear of Felipe, before delaying his shot to leave the Porto defender on his backside in the area. Felipe still manages to get in the way of the eventual shot, though, and then recovers well to clear the danger too.
YELLOW CARD! Jordan Henderson goes into the book for a late challenge. The Liverpool captain is not happy, but it is the right decision.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Time to rest some key players now as Firmino makes way to be replaced by Danny Ings.
PORTO SUB: Porto also make a change as Sergio Oliveira replaces Andre Andre.
We haven't been able to bring you any goals from Anfield so far, so here is Ronaldo's from the other tie for your viewing pleasure. A trademark header from the goalscoring machine...
SAVE! Liverpool come sweeping forward and eventually Henderson throws the ball into the box. Ings gets his head to it well, but he can't get any power on his effort and it is easy for Casillas.
PORTO SUB: The visitors make another change here as Waris limps off with what looks like a calf problem, being replaced by Ricardo.
I mentioned earlier that Casillas is likely playing the last Champions League game of his illustrious career tonight, and he was given a good reception by the Liverpool fans ahead of this second half...
UPDATE: A mixed five minutes for PSG over in Paris as Marco Verratti has been sent off, but they have since levelled things up on the night through Edinson Cavani. The hosts need two more to force extra time, though.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Interesting change from Klopp here as Mohamed Salah is introduced for the closing stages, replacing Mane.
SAVE! Moreno reads a crossfield pass from Oliver and immediately drives into a shooting position, but Felipe gets a cross to make a block and the ball floats comfortably into the arms of Casillas.
CHANCE! Another chance for Liverpool to break the deadlock as Salah bends a cross into the box which Milner meets with a firm header. It is straight at Casillas, though.
CHANCE! This is probably Porto's best attacking moment of the match as Corona dips inside and creates space to shoot, only to drag his effort wide of the near post.
PORTO SUB: A third and final change for the visitors as Aboubakar is replaced by Goncalo Paciencia.
LIVERPOOL SUB: Liverpool also make their final change as Can is replaced by Ragnar Klavan.
UPDATE: PSG's hope of progressing into the quarter-finals have well and truly been ended now, with Casemiro's deflected effort restoring Real Madrid's lead on the night.
SAVE! Meanwhile, Salah gets his first sight of goal but cannot beat Casillas from a tight angle.
SHOT! At the other end Oliveira tries his luck from range, but his effort takes a deflection on its way over the crossbar.
CHANCE! Big chance for Porto to nick victory on the night! A free kick from the right goes all the way through to Oliver, who looks certain to score from close range. However, Lovren throws himself in front of it to make a crucial block.
SHOT! Liverpool come forward at the other end and a cross arrives to Moreno, who chests it down only to slice his subsequent effort well off target.
This game has not been a thriller by any means, but Porto captain Felipe has played really well at the back. They missed him badly in the first leg.
CHANCE! Casillas is determined to keep his final Champions League clean sheet intact here! Salah is again involved as he lifts a cross into the box which finds Ings unmarked. The sub puts his header too central, though, and that allows Casillas to claw it away.
There will be three minutes of added time at the end of this match.
YELLOW CARD! Dalot picks up a late yellow card for a foul on Ings.
FULL TIME: Liverpool 0-0 Porto (Liverpool win 5-0 on aggregate)
LIVERPOOL PROGRESS THROUGH TO THE QUARTER-FINALS OF THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE!
It is all over at Liverpool, and after the fireworks of the first leg this was a much calmer affair as Liverpool safely booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time since 2008-09.
The night ends goalless, with Sadio Mane coming closest to changing that when he hit the post in the first half, but on aggregate Liverpool cruise through 5-0 and are the first English team in the hat for the last eight!
That is all we have time for this evening!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as Liverpool ease through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League having done the hard work in the first leg against Porto. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. We will have live coverage of two more Champions League contests tomorrow night too, so visit us again for those!
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
