The hectic winter schedule may have evoked the fury of Jurgen Klopp once more, but the German’s ruthless Reds have swept aside the competition in Europe to make the knockout rounds with two games to spare in Group B.
Liverpool sealed their place in the next round courtesy of a straightforward 2-0 success over Atletico Madrid earlier this month, with Diogo Jota and Sadio Mane on target, and the latter also stole the show during the Reds’ Premier League battle with Arsenal.
The touchline row between Klopp and Mikel Arteta may have made all the headlines during the game, but Mane chipped in with the opener before Jota, Mohamed Salah and Takumi Minamino completed the job in a 4-0 rout of Arteta’s young guns.
Liverpool are already guaranteed to finish first in their Champions League group, and Klopp will certainly welcome the opportunity to rotate his resources this week as the Reds aim to keep up their phenomenal goalscoring streak.
Indeed, Liverpool have scored at least two goals in each of their last 15 games across all competitions and enter this contest on the back of a 14-match unbeaten run at Anfield, but Porto have far more to play for on matchday five.
Traditionally solid but unspectacular in the Champions League, Porto have not become renowned for their attacking performances this term, but Sergio Conceicao’s men have their destiny in their own hands with Atletico and AC Milan under-performing.
Last time out against the Rossoneri, Porto needed just six minutes to draw first blood through Luis Diaz, but Chancel Mbemba’s own goal just after the hour mark prevented Conceicao’s side from claiming a memorable three points at San Siro.
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This week’s visitors to Anfield – who have just three goals to their name in the competition – are only one point clear of Atletico as they cling on to second spot, but they enter this game on the back of a ruthless 5-1 thrashing of CD Feirense in the Taca de Portugal.
Porto can take solace in the fact that only one of their last six Champions League games away from home has ended in defeat, but the Portuguese giants will need no reminding of what happened last time they did battle with Liverpool.
After Klopp had downplayed his side’s chances of another thumping, Liverpool ran out 5-1 winners on Porto’s turf back in September, and the Dragons are also winless in four previous meetings at Anfield – scoring just once in that time
