Porto v Liverpool background
Thursday, April 11, 2019
Article summary
First-leg goals from Naby Keïta and Roberto Firmino mean Liverpool travel to Porto for the conclusion of their quarter-final with a 2-0 cushion.
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Porto have plenty of work to do as they welcome Liverpool for the second leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final having gone down 2-0 at Anfield.
• First-half goals from Naby Keïta and Roberto Firmino on 9 April extended Porto's winless run against the English club and left Liverpool within sight of a second semi-final appearance in as many years.
• The Reds were 5-0 aggregate winners against Porto 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 seven 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. They have not reached the semi-finals in 15 years.
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, and the first-leg defeat in this tie, have left Porto with the record D3 L4 in their seven fixtures against the English side.
• All six of the matches between the teams before this tie 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
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).
• Porto have won all four home games in this season's competition, against Galatasaray (1-0), Lokomotiv Moskva (4-1) and Schalke (3-1) in the group stage before a 3-1 extra-time defeat of Roma in the last 16 second leg. They have won eight – and lost five – of their last 15 home European matches.
• Their overall home record against English clubs is W8 D6 L4; all four defeats have come in their last seven matches.
• The Dragons had won five European matches 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. Defeat at Liverpool means they have now lost successive away games.
• Porto's tally of 16 points was the highest of any club in this season's group stage.
• Porto have won only five of the 21 UEFA competition ties in which they lost the away first leg, although they did turn round their last-16 tie against Roma, following a 2-1 loss in Italy with that 3-1 extra-time win at home. They have lost all four previous ties in which they went down 2-0 away in the first leg, most recently against Borussia Dortmund in the 2015/16 UEFA Europa League round of 32 (0-1 home).
• Porto's record in three UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W1 L2:
1-4 v Schalke, 2007/08 UEFA Champions League round of 16
8-7 v Once Caldas, 2004 European/South American Cup
3-5 v Sampdoria, 1994/95 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-final
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.
• The Reds have the record W3 D3 L4 in Portugal; they won on each of their first two visits but last season's win at Porto was their first in eight trips.
• The 3-1 win at Bayern in the round of 16 second leg ended Liverpool's four-game run of European away defeats. They lost all three away games in this season's group stage, at Napoli (0-1), Crvena zvezda (0-2) and Paris Saint-Germain (1-2) and also went down 4-2 at Roma in last season's semi-final second leg (7-6 agg). Jürgen Klopp's side were six unbeaten (W4 D2) before losing in Rome.
• The Reds have lost five of their last ten European matches, all those defeats coming outside England.
• Liverpool have triumphed in 31 UEFA competition ties when they have won the home first leg – including against Manchester City in last season's quarter-finals, and Roma in the semis – and lost only five. On each of the seven occasions that they have won the first leg at home 2-0, they have gone on to win the tie. Their only aggregate loss after a two-goal winning margin in the home first leg came in the 1964/65 European Cup semi-final against Internazionale Milano when a 3-1 home win was overturned by a 3-0 reverse in Italy.
• Liverpool's record in four UEFA penalty shoot-outs is W3 L1:
4-5 v Beşiktaş, 2014/15 UEFA Europa League round of 32
4-1 v Chelsea, 2006/07 UEFA Champions League semi-final
3-2 v AC Milan, 2004/05 UEFA Champions League final
4-2 v Roma, 1983/84 European Champion Clubs' Cup final
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:
Iker Casillas & Alberto Moreno (Spain)
Alex Telles, Éder Militão, Felipe & Roberto Firmino, Alisson Becker, Fabinho (Brazil)
Óliver Torres & Alberto Moreno (Spain Under-21s)
• Have played together:
Iker Casillas & Fabinho (Real Madrid, 2012/13)
Otávio & Alisson Becker (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
Porto
• Maxi Pereira's next appearance in UEFA club competition will be his 100th.
• Moussa Marega's run of scoring in six consecutive UEFA Champions League matches ended in the first leg.
• The first leg was only Porto's second defeat in their last 12 matches in all competitions (W9 D1). They were 3-0 Liga victors at Portimonense on Saturday.
• Marega scored his first league goal since 23 December at the weekend, with Yacine Brahimi and Héctor Herrera also on target. Brahimi now has nine goals in this season's Liga, equalling his best ever tally set in 2017/18.
• Porto will play Sporting CP in the in the Portuguese Cup final on 25 May.
• The Dragons have won their last three home matches in all competitions – and 19 of the last 22 (D2 L1).
• Porto have won all five Liga matches since a 2-1 home defeat against Benfica on 2 March that ended their 16-match unbeaten league run.
• Alex Telles, who was out between 30 March and 9 April with a hip injury, made his Brazil debut in a 23 March friendly against Panama at the Estádio do Dragão.
• Jesús Corona (2022) and Iker Casillas (2020) have both agreed new contracts.
• Éder Militão will join Real Madrid in the summer.
Liverpool
• Liverpool are 16 matches unbeaten in all competitions (W11 D5), since a 2-1 FA Cup defeat at Wolves on 7 January. They have won their last seven games, beating Chelsea 2-0 at Anfield on Sunday thanks to goals from Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah.
• Mané has eight goals in Liverpool's last nine matches.
• Salah's goal in the 3-1 win at Southampton on 5 April 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; having not kept one for five games before the first leg with Porto, they have now kept two in a row.
• Liverpool are unbeaten in their last seven away games in all competitions (W4 D3), winning the last three. They have been beaten five times away from home this season, but only once by a two-goal margin – the 2-0 defeat at Crvena zvezda on matchday four.
• 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, and was on the bench for the first leg against Porto.
• 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.
• Adam Lallana, who has not played since 17 March, has been carrying a muscle injury.