Champions League quarterfinal first leg
Two first-half goals set the tone in this game for the last year’s runner-ups. Liverpool put high pressure on the Portuguese leading 2-0 at the break. This is also the final result as Liverpool controlled the tempo of the game in the second half.
However the Reds could have punched out Porto by extending their lead to three goals before the return leg in Portugal bit fail to do leaving the tie open still for a comeback. The Premier League giants will go to Portugal with confidence aiming at a spot onto the last four in the Champions League.
Liverpool coach Klopp comments on the win:
“It was a good game, a good game, a controlled game in a lot of moments. We deserved the win, 100 per cent, we scored two wonderful goals and we were – in a lot of situations – really dangerous, on the right side especially with Mo, Hendo and Trent, the crosses and the passes. Overall, a really good performance.
They had a bit too many set-pieces because they are really good in that and you don’t want to give them away. They go for it as well and we defended them well. The problem was a little bit the second half. We gave one or two counter-attacks away and then we had to control it a bit more.
We lost the direction in the play a bit, we didn’t play that clear anymore. We were still around in the box and all that stuff, that was good. But then for defending the counter-attacks we had to work really hard and it costs you then a little bit, you lose a bit of rhythm. That’s what happened.
I would have loved it if Sadio’s goal would have counted because it was a brilliant situation, a brilliant situation. All good, 2-0, the game is still on, we have to go there, we have to fight. Porto will try everything to strike back. That will be a really tough game again, but that’s how it should be in the quarter-finals. We will be ready.
In the second half, but controlling happens in different ways, the best way with the ball. When we lost it we had to do a lot of work to get it back because we were then in the last line and that’s not too cool. So, all good – 2-0 is a really, really, really good result. I would have bought it before the game and I take it now. It’s good.”
