Article by Jack Gill (@JackLFCGill)
When Ross set me this task early on a Monday morning, I thought sound, yeah, sorted. A quick google though told me that Liverpool and Porto had only faced each other seven times in their history, two of those were 0-0’s, meaning picking the ‘top five fixtures between the two sides was a relatively easy task. Anyway, here goes.
14th February 2018 – Porto 0-5 Liverpool
Valentine’s day in Portugal last year, the Reds ensured that Porto were not feeling the love in the first leg of the Champions League Round of 16 tie. Wearing all Orange, it took 25 for Liverpool to get the first goal. Sadio Mane’s strike was saved by Jose Sa, but the Porto Goalkeeper was unable to keep it out.
Four minutes later, it was two. Mohamed Salah this time with a glorious piece of composed skill after James Milner’s original strike had thundered against the post. Liverpool went into the break 2-0 up and weren’t getting phased by the atmosphere inside the Estádio do Dragão as they continued to run riot after the break.
Seven minutes after half-time Sadio Mane got his second and Liverpool’s third of the night with a rebound from a Bobby Firmino shot which was parried into the path of Sadio Mane by Jose Sa.
It was Firmino who was next to get on the scoresheet as the Brazilian produced a cool finish from a James Millner pull-back. The celebration was equally as good as the goal as we saw the Bobby Firmino special, ‘spinning Karate kicks.
’With five minutes to go, Sadio Mane completed the scoring and got his hat-trick with his best goal of the night, firing past Jose Sa from 25 yards. The return leg at Anfield was a drab 0-0 draw meaning Liverpool’s 5-0 win in Portugal was enough to put us through to the quarter-finals in a season where the Reds ended up being the runners-up in the competition.
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28th November 2007 – Liverpool 4-1 Porto
Porto came to Anfield In 2007 for only the second time for their second head-to-head during the Champions’ League group stage after a 1-1 draw in Portugal earlier on in the season. The Reds took the lead in the opening twenty minutes as Fernando Torres headed in from a corner.
The lead was to last less than fifteen minutes though as a Lisandro Lopez header ensured that Porto were level. It seemed as though the two sides would draw 1-1 again as it was level until the final fifteen minutes of the game when LFC ran riot.
With twelve minutes to go, El Nino got his second of the night and put Liverpool back in the lead with a superb turn on the edge of Porto’s box before calmly finishing past Porto’s Brazilian goalkeeper, Helton.
With the game in it’s late stages, Liverpool were awarded a penalty after Sami Hyppia’s header was blocked by an arm. Steven Gerrard converted the penalty with ease to put Liverpool 3-1.
But Liverpool’s late scoring spree wasn’t over yet, Peter Crouch made it 4-1in the 88th minute with the third headed goal of the game as he guided a Steven Gerrard corner into the back of the net.
15th March 2001 – Liverpool 2-0 Porto
A UEFA Cup (or Europa League as it’s known now), quarter-final saw Liverpool take on Porto. After the first leg finished 0-0, Porto came to Anfield knowing that it was going to be a difficult task. Two goals before half-time were enough to put the Reds into the semi-final with both Danny Murphy and Michael Owen on the scoresheet.
Liverpool were ahead after 33 minutes, Murphy the scorer after a superb cross-field pass from a young Steven Gerrard. Murphy controlled the ball with his thigh before mis-hitting his shot, which somehow still found its way into the back of the net.
Five minutes later, it was two-nil. Steven Gerrard was the provider again as his cross was met by the head of Judas, sorry, Michael Owen, who headed the ball down to the ground and into the back of the net. LFC went onto win the UEFA Cup that season in an outstanding season where the Reds completed the treble by winning the UEFA Cup, League Cup and FA Cup.
18th September 2007 – Porto 1-1 Liverpool
The first head-to-head between the two sides in Champions League Group A during the 2007-08 season ended in a 1-1 draw at the Estádio do Dragão. Porto got the advantage in their own backyard early on as Pepe Reina was deemed to have fouled Tarik Sektioui and a penalty was given. Lucho Gonzalez stepped up to take it and made no mistake to put the Dragons 1-0 up in Portugal.
The lead was to last only nine minutes though as Dirk Kuyt headed past Nuno after an Arbeloa free-kick was flicked on by the head of Sami Hyppia. The two goals in the first twenty minutes were the only goals of the game and it finished 1-1.
9th April 2019 – Liverpool 2-0 Porto
The first-leg a week ago was a brilliant game for the Reds who dominated and controlled the game brilliantly. Liverpool raced to a two-nil lead and managing the game in the second half to ensure the reds didn’t over exert themselves in what is going to be a brilliant end to the season where LFC challenge for both the Premier League and Champions League titles.
It took only five minutes for Liverpool to get the first goal of the game and some predicted a slaughtering for Porto from that point. Naby Keita’s deflected strike beating Iker Casillas to get the Guinean’s first Champions League goal for the Reds and his first goal at Anfield, Is right Naby lad.
Mo Salah came close with two efforts before Liverpool’s lead was doubled after twenty-five minutes. Jordan Henderson, who seems to be playing like Kaka in his prime lately, produced a wonderful ball to Trent Alexander-Arnold who did a trademark TAA pass across the face of goal to Roberto Firmino who finished superbly. I was hoping for a no-look, but the tap-in will do.
Commendably, Porto came to Anfield to attack and looked threatening at times on the counter so it was important that we held on and managed the game to make sure we didn’t conced an away-goal which can be so important in the competition. A masterclass from the Reds who head to Porto this week to finish the job.
After only seven fixtures between the two sides, Liverpool are yet to lose (TOUCHWOOD), with four wins and three draws between the two sides. Before last season, Liverpool had never won at the Estádio do Dragão but LFC will be feeling confident after last year’s five-nil victory at the same venue. Let’s hope Liverpool can finish the job on Wednesday and put ourselves into the Champions League semi-final where we will play either Barcelona or Manchester United (Barcelona cause United are shite).
Up the Reds!
Article by Jack Gill (@JackLFCGill)
