As it happened: Porto 1-4 LFC

Champions League Quarter Final 2nd Leg
Wednesday 17 April 2019 - 8:00 pm
Estadio do Dragao, Porto
Porto1
4Liverpool
Show Match Events
28'Mane ⚽️
32' Mane
Pepe36'
46'↔️ Origi off, Firmino on
Otávio off, Soares on ↔️46'
65'Salah ⚽️
67'↔️ Alexander-Arnold off, Gomez on
⚽️ Militão69'
71'↔️ Robertson off, Henderson on
Corona off, Andrade on ↔️78'
78'Firmino ⚽️
Brahimi off, Costa on ↔️81'
83'van Dijk ⚽️
Possession %
5149
Total Shots
1913
Shots on Target
85
Shots Blocked
31
Offside
22
Hide Match Events

Champions League action from Portugal. 

Liverpool take their 2-0 first leg lead to the Estadio do Dragao with a semi-final against Barcelona the potential reward.

The reds will be aiming for an 11th European Cup semi final spot, reaching 7 finals from the previous 10 semi-final appearances.

With Barcelona completing a straight-forward quarter final win over Manchester United the reds will be eager to complete the job in tonight's game and face the Catalans.

Porto do have the second leg advantage at home.  But Liverpool will point to their clean sheet at Anfield as a major advantage.

Dejan Lovren hasn't travelled (illness) and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is continuing his recovery back at Melwood but Liverpool have very few injury concerns other than that.

Follow all the action with us here!

As it happened...

17:36 UK
Semi finals await

Last night both Barcelona (v Man Utd) and Ajax (v Juventus) booked their places in the semi-final.

Porto v Liverpool, and Man City v Spurs battle it out to secure the two remaining places in the semi-final.

18:49 UK
Three changes - Origi in

Three changes for the reds including Origi in for Roberto Firmino

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Matip, Van Dijk, Robertson, Fabinho, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Origi.

Subs: Mignolet, Keita, Firmino, Gomez, Henderson, Sturridge, Shaqiri.

19:06 UK
Porto team

Here's our opponents for tonight's game.

Casillas, Militão, Felipe, Pepe, Alex Telles, Corona, Danilo, Herrera, Brahimi, Otávio, Marega

Subs: Vaná, Maxi, Bruno Costa, Óliver, André Pereira, Soares e Fernando Andrade 

19:41 UK
On the pitch

19:45 UK
Klopp on Origi

Speaking to BT Sport, the Liverpool boss was asked why Divock Origi comes in to the side:

“No issue, actually – just respecting the fantastic form Divock Origi is in for weeks or months already, and bringing in fresh legs.

“That’s all, the same we do in midfield because we expect a very intense game, we expect a hard-fighting Porto side. So we need to be ready for that.

“Of course Bobby is ready for that but because he never gives himself a rest, from time to time we have to do it. But it’s not a rest actually, it’s bringing in Div and having that option: speed and all that stuff. That’s what we thought.”

20:00 UK
Almost time...

Champions League music.  Check.

20:02 UK
KICK OFF

Underway in Portugal!

Come on you reds.  LFC leading 2-0 remember from the first leg.

20:04 UK
Early Porto chance

2' That is only narrowly over the crossbar.  Jesus Corona cuts in and curls it just over the crossbar.

20:10 UK
Another chance for Porto

7' Morega almost in that time.  Porto have raced out of the blocks in this game.  

20:20 UK
Porto's blue wave

17' They are relentless.  Matip on hand there to intercept a ball that was about to travel right into the middle of the area.

20:21 UK

18' Liverpool clearing from a corner but straight back to the Porto midfield.  Not ideal.

For a team that are 2-0 up in this leg, Liverpool should be playing with less panic.

20:22 UK
Elsewhere...

Five goals at the Etihad stadium in the first 20 minutes.

City leading 3-2 against Spurs.

20:28 UK

25' Herrara's shot from outside the box hits his own man, and then about three Porto players were offside.

13 attempts so far from Porto.  0 from Liverpool.

20:29 UK

26' Absolutely crucial interception there by Virgil van Dijk - Herrera was in.

20:29 UK

26' Mane puts the ball in the net on a quick counter - but it's offside. 

20:31 UK
GOAL

28' There was a long long delay for VAR to check that offside and it's been GIVEN.

Liverpool with their first shot of the night and it's 1-0.

20:33 UK
WOW

Porto have absolutely clattered Liverpool in this opening half hour but the reds held firm and then went down the other end and put themselves ahead with their first shot!

Porto need to score four goals now to knock the reds out.

20:36 UK

20:40 UK
Yellow card

35' That goal has silenced the Porto crowd and now frustration on the pitch as Pepe receives a yellow card for a foul on Origi.

20:46 UK

43' Approaching half time now and it's a decidedly less frenetic game than it was in the opening 25 minutes.

It's not liquid football from Liverpool but it looks like Porto's motivation, and perhaps energy levels, are spent.

20:53 UK
HALF TIME

Porto 0-1 Liverpool (0-3 on aggregate)

Well.  First 25 minutes Porto had plenty of bluster, a number of attempts although not too many of them were outstanding chances.

Liverpool go up the other end, Mane scores from a Salah pass, linesman disallows it before the VAR check proves it was onside.

Goal given.  Stadium silenced.

Huge advantage now for the reds.

21:06 UK
SECOND HALF

Underway and Firmino is on for Origi at half time.

21:07 UK
And a Porto change

Francisco Soares also on for the second half, replacing Otavio.

Liverpool leading 3-0 on aggregate, including the away goal.  Porto need to score four times.

21:14 UK

54' Mane did collect a yellow card in the first half.  Certainly no reason to suspect he would collect a second yellow card with Liverpool pretty much done and dusted here.

But he might be the next player to be substituted, possibly for Sturridge.

21:26 UK
GOAL

65' MO SALAH makes it 2-0.  Pass from Alexander-Arnold.

Slippers on, smoke me a kipper.

21:27 UK
LFC Sub

67' That assist is his last contribution of this game. 

Alexander-Arnold heads off and is replaced to loud cheers from the visiting fans by Joe Gomez.

21:30 UK
GOAL

69' It's a consolation goal for the hosts.  Militao putting the ball away, assist by Telles.

21:31 UK
Final LFC sub

71' Jordan Henderson on for Andy Robertson for the final 20 minutes.

Liverpool leading 4-1 on aggregate here.

21:33 UK
WOW

73' Mane should have scored there.  Great run forwards but he puts the ball over the crossbar.

21:38 UK
GOAL

77' It's a great cross from Henderson and FIRMINO heads it in.

That's 3-1 to the reds on the night, 5-1 on aggregate.

21:39 UK

21:45 UK
GOAL

84' Getting silly now.  Virgil van Dijk with the header to make it 4-1 (6-1 agg)

21:57 UK
FULL TIME

All over here and at the Emptihad stadium.

22:26 UK
Yes, it's us again

22:27 UK

Jurgen Klopp saying post match that the reds changed formation at half time, hence Firmino on for Origi.

Clearly worked as the reds added three goals in the second half.

22:35 UK
Thanks for joining us

Another wonderful night and Liverpool are back in the final four of the Champions League.

Can the reds get past Barcelona and go one step further than last year?

Here's hoping.



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