Liverpool in cruise control for Porto return

Liverpool FC are all but through to a first UEFA Champions League quarter-final since 2009 as they welcome FC Porto for the second leg of their round of 16 tie.

• The English side inflicted a 5-0 defeat on their Portuguese hosts in the first leg – Porto's record home European loss. Sadio Mané scored a hat-trick and Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino were also on target to leave Porto effectively playing for pride – and a first win against the Reds – at Anfield after a defeat that equals the biggest first-leg margin in the UEFA Champions League era.

• Porto have recorded two draws and three defeats in their five games against the Merseyside club. They are in the round of 16 for the second year in a row and made the most recent of their five UEFA Champions League quarter-final appearances in 2014/15. Liverpool, by contrast, were last in this stage in 2008/09 – although they did go on to the last eight in that season.

• Porto progressed to the 2017/18 knockout rounds by finishing second in Group G, while Liverpool remained unbeaten (W3 D3) in winning Group E.

• This is one of only two round of 16 ties this season to feature two former European champions; Chelsea FC's meeting with FC Barcelona is the other.

Previous meetings
• Before the first leg there had been four previous matches between the teams, all in the 21st century. Their first encounters came in the quarter-finals of Liverpool's victorious 2000/01 UEFA Cup campaign; Gérard Houllier's side drew the first leg 0-0 in Portugal before first-half goals from Danny Murphy and Michael Owen secured a 2-0 second-leg, and aggregate, victory at Anfield.

• The other matches came in the 2007/08 UEFA Champions League group stage. Dirk Kuyt's 17th-minute goal earned Liverpool a 1-1 matchday one draw at Jesualdo Ferreira's Porto, who had gone in front through Lucho González's eighth-minute penalty. The visitors played the majority of the second half with ten men following Jermaine Pennant's 58th-minute red card.

• At Anfield, Lisandro (33) cancelled out Fernando Torres' 19th-minute opener for Rafael Benítez's Liverpool, before late goals from Torres again (78), Steven Gerrard (84pen) and Peter Crouch (87) gave the home team the points. Porto and Liverpool both went through to the last 16, the Portuguese side winning the section.

• The teams at Anfield on 28 November 2007 were:
Liverpool: Reina, Finnan, Hyypiä, Carragher, Arbeola, Mascherano, Gerrard, Babel (Kuyt 85), Benayoun (Crouch 71), Voronin (Kewell 63), Torres.
Porto: Nuno, Bosingwa, Stepanov, Bruno Alves, Čech, Assunção (Postiga 81), Lucho, Kaźmierczak (Meireles 65), Mariano González (Sektioui 77), Quaresma, Lisandro.

Match background

Liverpool
• Liverpool have not reached the round of 16 in nine years, their most recent tie a 5-0 win against Real Madrid CF in the 2008/09 competition (1-0 away, 4-0 home). That left them with the overall record of W4 L1 at this stage; the sole defeat came at the hands of Portuguese opponents as holders in 2005/06, SL Benfica winning 1-0 at home and 2-0 away.

• That Benfica reverse is Liverpool's only loss at home to Portuguese visitors (W6 D2).

Liverpool celebrate their first-leg victory©AFP/Getty Images

• Liverpool's most recent home game against Portuguese clubs was a goalless draw against SC Braga in the 2010/11 UEFA Europa League round of 16 second leg. That confirmed a 1-0 aggregate defeat, giving Liverpool the record W5 L2 in two-legged contests against Portuguese sides.

• Jürgen Klopp's side picked up seven points at home in this season's group stage, drawing 2-2 with Sevilla FC before a 3-0 scalp of NK Maribor. They wrapped up first place in Group E with a 7-0 dismantling of FC Spartak Moskva.

• Before being held by Sevilla, Liverpool's previous six European games at Anfield had produced a home win. They are unbeaten in their last 13 European home matches (W9 D4), since a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid on 22 October 2014.

• Liverpool have won all 32 of the UEFA competition ties in which they won the away first leg – losing only four of those second legs but still prevailing on aggregate.

• The Reds have won 5-0 away in two previous first legs, against FC Haka of Finland in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League third qualifying round (4-1 second leg) and KR Reykjavík in the 1964/65 European Champion Clubs' Cup preliminary round (6-1 second leg). The latter was Liverpool's first European tie.

• Liverpool's record in four UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W3 L1:
4-5 v Beşiktaş JK, 2014/15 UEFA Europa League round of 32
4-1 v Chelsea FC, 2006/07 UEFA Champions League semi-final
3-2 v AC Milan, 2004/05 UEFA Champions League final
4-2 v AS Roma, 1983/84 European Champion Clubs' Cup final

Porto
• Porto's record in the round of 16 is W3 L6, and they have won only one of their last four ties. In 2016/17, they bowed out at this stage against eventual runners-up Juventus (0-2 home, 0-1 away).

• Porto's record in two-legged ties with English clubs is W3 L7. They have lost the last four, most recently 6-1 on aggregate to Manchester City FC in the 2011/12 UEFA Europa League round of 32 (1-2 home, 0-4 away). They have not beaten English opposition in a knockout tie since José Mourinho's side eliminated Manchester United FC in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League round of 16 (2-1 home, 1-1 away) en route to lifting the trophy.

• The Dragons have lost their last five away games against Premier League sides, most recently going down 1-0 at Leicester City FC in last season's group stage, and did not score in any of those games, conceding 13 goals.

• Porto's record away to English clubs is W0 D2 L15 F10 A48.

• Porto took four points on their travels in Group G this season, recording a 3-0 success at AS Monaco FC on matchday two prior to a 3-2 loss at RB Leipzig and 1-1 draw at section winners Beşiktaş JK.

• Porto had lost their previous three UEFA Champions League fixtures, home and away, before winning at Monaco on matchday two; they have now won three of their last ninematches in the competition.

• The Monaco success is Porto's only win in their last five European away games (D2 L2).

• Last season was the third time in the last six campaigns that Porto had progressed from their group. This is the first time they have reached the round of 16 two seasons in a row since getting into the knockouts every year between 2006/07 and 2009/10.

• Porto have won only one of the seven UEFA competition ties in which they lost the home first leg – against Panathinaikos in the 2002/03 UEFA Cup quarter-finals (0-1 home, 2-0 away). They lost at home to Juve in last season's UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg (0-1 second leg).

• Porto's record in three UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W1 L2:
1-4 v FC Schalke, 2007/08 UEFA Champions League round of 16
8-7 v CD Once Caldas, 2004 European/South American Cup
3-5 v UC Sampdoria, 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final

Coach and player links
• Iker Casillas was in the Real Madrid team beaten by Liverpool at this stage of the 2008/09 competition. He did get the better of the Reds in the 2014/15 group stage, appearing in Madrid's 3-0 win at Anfield and 1-0 success in Spain.

• Mohamed Salah's AS Roma were knocked out of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League by Porto, losing 4-1 on aggregate defeat in the play-offs (1-1 away, 0-3 home).

• Maxi Pereira played in Benfica's 2-1 home win against Liverpool in the 2009/10 UEFA Europa League quarter-finals first leg. He was an unused substitute in the return, a 4-1 Liverpool victory.

• Ricardo Pereira and Sérgio Oliveira were in the Portugal team that beat Emre Can's Germany 5-0 in the 2015 UEFA European Under-21 Championship semi-final; Ricardo scored the second goal.

• International team-mates:
Alberto Moreno & Iker Casillas (Spain)
Alberto Moreno & Óliver Torres (Spain Under-21s)

• James Milner scored in England's 2-2 draw against hosts Portugal in the 2003 UEFA European Under-17 Championship semi-final. Portugal won 3-2 on penalties and went on to lift the trophy.

Match facts

Liverpool
• UEFA Champions League squad changes
In: Nathaniel Clyne, Danny Ings, Virgil van Dijk
Out: Philippe Coutinho, Jon Flanagan, Marko Grujić, Daniel Sturridge

• Emre Can is available after a one-game suspension in the first leg; Alberto Moreno is a booking away from a ban.

• Liverpool have failed to score in only one match in the last 15 in all competitions.

• The Reds were unbeaten in 18 games in all competitions (W13 D5) before losing 1-0 at Swansea City AFC in the Premier League on 22 January. They were then beaten 3-2 at home to West Bromwich Albion FC in the FA Cup fourth round five days later but have won five of the last six since (D1).

• Liverpool have lost only one of their 21 games at Anfield in all competitions this season (W13 D7). They have scored in all but two of those 21 fixtures.

• Liverpool's 2-0 win against Newcastle United FC on Saturday was their first clean sheet in their last seven home games.

• Mohamed Salah has scored in each of his last seven games for Liverpool, and has 11 goals in his last 10 appearances. The Egyptian has 24 Premier League goals in 28 appearances this season.

• Sadio Mané has scored in both his Premier League appearances since his hat-trick at Porto, and thus has five goals in his last three matches.

• Nathaniel Clyne has not played for the first team this season due to a back injury – although he has been added to Liverpool's UEFA Champions League squad.

Porto
• UEFA Champions League squad changes
In: Yordan Osório, Gonçalo Paciência, Majeed Waris
Out: João Costa, Jorge Fernandes, Hernâni, Miguel Layún, Rúben Macedo, Federico Varela

• Felipe is available after serving a one-match ban in the first leg; André André and Danilo will incur a suspension with their next bookings.

• The Dragons are unbeaten in the Liga this season (W21 D4), winning 5-1 at Portimonense SC on 25 February and beating Sporting CP 2-1 on Friday. That took them to 105 goals in all competitions this season (68 in the league), the first time since 1986/87 they have managed more than a hundred.

• Porto have not lost in normal time in 34 domestic matches this season, although they were beaten on penalties by Sporting CP in the League Cup semi-finals on 24 January after a goalless draw.

• Porto have lost only once away all season in 19 matches (W13 D5), going down 3-2 at RB Leipzig on matchday three.

• Porto's top scorer Moussa Marega struck twice at Portimonense and now has 20 goals in 24 league matches this season, including five in the last six.

• Francisco Soares also found the net at Portimonense before limping off with a thigh problem that kept him out of the Sporting CP game. Having scored just once in the Liga before the round of 16 first leg, Portimonense was the fourth successive league match in a row in which he registered, scoring seven goals in that run.

• Porto have scored 15 goals in their four league outings since the first leg – Soares has five of them and Marega four.

• Porto lead Sporting 1-0 after the first leg of their Portuguese Cup semi-final on 7 February. The return is on 18 April.

• Alex Telles has ten Liga assists this season, more than any other player; Yacine Brahimi has six.

• Danilo (calf, out since 24 January) and Alex Telles (knee, 21 February) have been sidelined.

• Vincent Aboubakar and Jesús Corona returned from injury on Friday after coming off the bench against Sporting; Ricardo Periera (out since 14 February with a thigh problem) was an unused substitute.