Liverpool v Porto background

For the second year in a row Liverpool take on Porto in the UEFA Champions League knockout rounds, with the English club looking for a repeat of their emphatic 2017/18 victory.

• The Reds were 5-0 aggregate winners in last season's round of 16, all the goals coming in the first leg in Portugal. Porto restored some pride with a goalless draw at Anfield but have still never beaten Liverpool in six previous attempts.

• While Liverpool are in the last eight for the second season in a row, this is Porto's first UEFA Champions League quarter-final appearance since 2014/15 and only their second since 2008/09.

Previous meetings
• Twelve months ago, a Sadio Mané hat-trick at the Estádio do Dragão helped Liverpool to a 5-0 first-leg victory, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Fimino also finding the net.

• The goalless draw in the return left Porto with the record D3 L3 in their six fixtures against the English side.

• All six of the matches between the teams have come in the 21st century. Their first 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; Liverpool went on to reach the semi-finals.

Form guide
Liverpool
• Liverpool have won ten of their previous 14 European Cup quarter-finals:
2017/18 Manchester City W 5-1 (3-0 h, 2-1 a)
2008/09 Chelsea L 5-7 (1-3 h, 4-4 a)
2007/08 Arsenal W 5-3 (1-1 a, 4-2 h)
2006/07 PSV Eindhoven W 4-0 (3-0 a, 1-0 h)
2004/05 Juventus W 2-1 (2-1 h, 0-0 a)
2001/02 Bayer Leverkusen L 3-4 (1-0 h, 2-4 a)
1984/85 Austria Wien W 5-2 (1-1 a, 4-1 h)
1983/84 Benfica W 5-1 (1-0 h, 4-1 a)
1982/83 Widzew Łódź L 3-4 (0-2 a, 3-2 h)
1981/82 CSKA Sofia L 1-2 (1-0 h, 0-2 a)
1980/81 CSKA Sofia W 6-1 (5-1 h, 1-0 a)
1977/78 Benfica W 6-2 (2-1 a, 4-1 h)
1976/77 St-Étienne W 3-2 (0-1 a, 3-1 h)
1964/65 Köln W 2-2, Liverpool won on coin toss (0-0 a, 0-0 h, 2-2 n)

• A 3-1 aggregate victory against Bayern München in this season's round of 16 means Liverpool have won their last nine two-legged European ties, qualifying included. Their last defeat was on penalties in the 2014/15 UEFA Europa League round of 32 against Beşiktaş (1-0 home, 0-1 away).

• Last season's tie against Porto gave Liverpool the record W6 L2 in two-legged contests against Portuguese sides.

• A 2-0 second-leg loss to Benfica in the 2005/06 UEFA Champions League round of 16 (0-3 aggregate) is Liverpool's only defeat at home to Portuguese visitors (W6 D3). Their last two games against Liga clubs at Anfield have finished scoreless.

• Liverpool had won five successive home UEFA Champions League fixtures, beating Paris Saint-Germain (3-2), Crvena zvezda (4-0) and, decisively, Napoli (1-0) in this season's group stage, before drawing 0-0 against Bayern in the round of 16 first leg. They are unbeaten in 20 European home matches (W14 D6), since a 3-0 loss to Real Madrid on 22 October 2014.

Porto
• Porto's record in European Cup quarter-finals is W2 L5:
2014/15 Bayern München L 4-7 (3-1 h, 1-6 a)
2008/09 Manchester United L 2-3 (2-2 a, 0-1 h)
2003/04 Lyon W 4-2 (2-0 h, 2-2 a)
1999/2000 Bayern München L 2-3 (1-1 h, 1-2 a)
1996/97 Manchester United L 0-4 (0-4 a, 0-0 h)
1990/91 Bayern München L 1-3 (1-1 a, 0-2 h)
1986/87 Brøndby W 2-1 (1-0 h, 1-1 a)

• Porto are seeking a first semi-final appearance since 2003/04 when they lifted the trophy under José Mourinho. Their only two victories in seven previous quarter-final appearances came in the seasons when they were crowned European champions.

• Porto's record in two-legged ties with English clubs is W3 L8. They have lost the last five and have not beaten English opposition in a knockout tie since Mourinho's side eliminated Manchester United in the 2003/04 UEFA Champions League round of 16 (2-1 home, 1-1 away).

• Last season's draw at Liverpool ended a five-game losing streak in away games against Premier League sides; Porto have not scored on their last six visits to England, conceding 13 goals, and have never won there.

• Porto's record away to English clubs is W0 D3 L15 F10 A48.

• Porto were unbeaten in five UEFA Champions League away games (W2 D3) before a 2-1 loss at Roma in the round of 16 first leg – they turned round the tie with a 3-1 extra-time victory in Portugal. In this season's group stage, they opened with a 1-1 draw at Schalke before victories at Lokomotiv Moskva (3-1) and Galatasaray (3-2).

• Porto have nevertheless won only three of their last ten European away games (D4 L3). They had drawn three in a row before winning at Lokomotiv.

• The Dragons have lost only once in Europe since last season's first-leg defeat by Liverpool (W6 D2). They had won five in a row, setting a new club record for successive wins and eclipsing their previous best set in the 1996/97 group stage, before losing at Roma.

• Porto's tally of 16 points was the highest of any club in this season's group stage.

Links and trivia
• Iker Casillas was in the Real Madrid team beaten 5-0 on aggregate by Liverpool in the 2008/09 round of 16. He did get the better of the Reds in the 2014/15 group stage, appearing in Madrid's 3-0 win at Anfield – the last European victory for an away side at Liverpool – and 1-0 success in Spain.

• Salah's Roma were knocked out of the 2016/17 UEFA Champions League by Porto, losing 4-1 on aggregate 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-final first leg. He was an unused substitute in the return, a 4-1 Liverpool victory.

• International team-mates:
Alberto Moreno & Iker Casillas (Spain)
Roberto Firmino, Alisson Becker, Fabinho & Alex Telles, Éder Militão, Felipe (Brazil)
Alberto Moreno & Óliver Torres (Spain Under-21s)

• Have played together:
Fabinho & Iker Casillas (Real Madrid, 2012/13)
Alisson Becker & Otávio (Internacional, 2013–14)

• Adrián López scored in Villarreal's 1-0 victory against Liverpool in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League semi-final first leg; the English club won the return 3-0.

• Virgil van Dijk scored in the Netherlands' 3-0 friendly win against Portugal in March 2018 while Salah was on target in Egypt's 2-1 loss to Portugal the same month.

• Fabinho was under contract with Portuguese side Rio Ave between 2012 and 2015 but never played for the club, being loaned to first Real Madrid (2012/13) and then Monaco (2013–15).

Latest news

Liverpool
• Liverpool are 14 matches unbeaten in all competitions (W9 D5), since a 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Wolves on 7 January. They have won their last five games, including Friday's 3-1 Premier League success at Southampton.

• Mohamed Salah's goal at Southampton was his first since 9 February; Jordan Henderson was also on target for the first time since 23 September 2017.

• The Reds had kept five successive clean sheets before the 4-2 win against Burnley at Anfield on 10 March; they have not managed one in their last five games.

• Sadio Mané has seven goals in Liverpool's last seven matches.

• Liverpool have lost only once at Anfield all season (W17 D3), winning their last three home fixtures.

• Henderson won his 50th cap for England in the 5-1 UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying win in Montenegro on 25 March.

• Joe Gomez was taken off midway through the first half of the 3-1 win at Burnley on 5 December having fractured his left leg; he underwent surgery in early February, returning to training on 26 March.

• Dejan Lovren suffered a hamstring injury in January's FA Cup defeat at Wolves, returning to action in Croatia's 2-1 UEFA EURO 2020 qualifying loss in Hungary on 24 March; he came on as a late substitute at Southampton.

• Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has not played since suffering a serious knee injury in last season's UEFA Champions League semi-final first leg against Roma on 24 April, although he has been added to the squad for this season's knockout rounds.

Porto
• Moussa Marega scored in his sixth consecutive UEFA Champions League match in the second leg against Roma.

• Porto's four-game winning run in all competitions, a sequence that started in the second leg against Roma, was ended by a 1-1 draw at Braga in the Portuguese Cup semi-final second leg on 2 April. Porto progressed 4-1 on aggregate and win play Sporting CP in the final on 25 May.

• The last-16 first-leg defeat at Roma is the Dragons' only reverse in their last 19 away games in all competitions (W14 D4).

• Porto won 3-2 at Braga in the Liga on 30 March – Iker Casillas's 150th appearance for the club.

• Alex Telles suffered a hip injury while scoring a penalty in that game and has not featured since.

• Porto have won all four Liga matches since a 2-1 home defeat against Benfica on 2 March that ended their 16-match unbeaten league run. They beat Boavista 2-0 at home on Friday.

• Francisco Soares' opener on Friday was his sixth goal in his last eight games for Porto; Otávio was also on target, his first Liga strike since 3 November.

• Danilo has scored three goals in his last six games for club and country, including one in Portugal's 1-1 UEFA EURO 2020 draw against Serbia on 25 March – the European champions' first goal in defence of their trophy.

• Alex Telles made his Brazil debut in a 23 March friendly against Panama at the Estádio do Dragão.

• Jesús Corona (2022) and Casillas (2020) have both agreed new contracts.

• Éder Militão will join Real Madrid in the summer.