Liverpool v Porto
Tuesday 9th April 2000hrs
Football – Europe – Champions League
Pick Liverpool to win to nil
Bookmaker Marathon Bet
Odds: 111/110 (odds taken 23.30 GMT, Monday 8th April)
This tie is a re-run of last season’s round of 16 game where Liverpool blew Porto away en route to the Champions League final and will be confident of dispatching the Portuguese outfit once again in their bid to go one better this season.
Champions League Betting at Marathon Bet
Liverpool Preview
It was one step too far for Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team last season as they failed to get the better of Real Madrid in the final in Kiev. Despite that loss, there was a feeling that it was the beginning for this Liverpool team and that they done well to reach that stage in the first place. Now, a year on, and the expectation has grown so much around this squad of players that they are very much seen as one of the favourites to be crowned champions of Europe for the sixth time in their illustrious history. It’s a measure of how well Klopp has done and the challenge now is finishing the job and winning his first piece of silverware since arriving at the club in 2015. The Reds have to great chances of achieving that, of course, as current league leaders in England but all involved will be eager to do a memorable double. Having seen off Bayern Munich with an excellent win away from home in the second leg of their last-16 tie, confidence and belief amongst the squad is incredibly high and they will feel that they have the beating of this Porto team, whom they dismantled 12 months ago. They also have an excellent record at home in this competition which has seen them win eight and draw two of their last 10.
Key-Facts – Liverpool v Porto
- This tie is a rematch of the clubs’ last-16 clash in 2017/18 which Liverpool romped
- The winners will face the winners of Barcelona against Manchester United
- Liverpool have kept seven clean sheets in their last nine Champions League home games
Porto Preview
Porto have made it through to the quarter final stage for the first time in four seasons and if they are able to progress past Liverpool it would make it their first appearance in the semi finals since winning the Champions League back in 2004. That’s the aim for Sergio Conceicao and his players who were humbled by this same opponent in last year’s competition. Similar to Liverpool, the club are also in a battle with Benfica at the top of their domestic league – but in Porto’s case it is an attempt to retain their title. Their passage to this stage has been dramatic to say the least. Having topped their group with Schalke, Lokomotiv Moscow and Galatasaray, Porto were paired with Roma in the first knockout phase and played their part in an incredible tie. After losing the first leg away in Rome 2-1, Porto took the game to extra-time before progressing having been awarded a penalty given by VAR. There’s no doubting this is a step-up in quality than anything Porto have faced this year and with that heavy aggregate defeat from last year on their mind, it will have to be a monumental effort to see off Liverpool over two legs.
Liverpool v Porto Betting Advice
It was a complete mismatch just over a year ago when Liverpool coasted past Porto in the last-16 and when the draw was made last month, the majority believed it would be a similar outcome once again – and it’s hard to argue with that. The winners of this game face the winners of Manchester United and Barcelona and you suspect that Klopp would fancy his team to see off either of those in a two-legged semi-final, but the priority is very much getting by this opponent.
The damage was done for Porto in the first leg last season but that was a match at home when they lost 5-0. The second leg essentially became a dead rubber at Anfield but Tuesday’s game is going to be a very different occasion as the home supporters will be keen to make it an intimidating European atmosphere. The Reds’ home record is such that anything other than a win for them in this first leg would be a big surprise. PSG and Roma are the only two visiting teams to score at Anfield in the Champions League in the past nine matches and as shown in the goalless draw with Bayern at home in the last round, this is a Liverpool team who know how to keep clean sheets when they need to so back them to win the game without conceding.
