Felipe of Porto with Liverpool's Jordan Henderson
Felipe of Porto with Liverpool's Jordan Henderson

Liverpool 0-0 FC Porto: Reds progress to Champions League quarter-finals


Liverpool eased into the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in nine years with no great alarm in a goalless draw at home to Porto.

This game was the antithesis of their 5-0 win in the first leg at the Estadio do Dragao, but a professional performance, a fifth clean sheet in eight European matches and no apparent injuries represented mission accomplished.

Liverpool are now a 10/1 chance with Sky Bet to win the Champions League.

While supporters may have had a justifiable complaint for being short-changed by the Champions League's top scorers, from Jurgen Klopp's point of view there was no point in taking any risks - especially with Saturday lunchtime's match at Manchester United looming large.

Manager Klopp made five changes - two more than he had suggested pre-match - with the most significant being a rest for 32-goal forward Mohamed Salah and a first start in two months for Adam Lallana.

Adam Lallana in action for Liverpool

Whether alterations, the five-goal cushion from the first leg or the imminent visit to Old Trafford affected the occasion is open to debate, but the game was played at a much lower intensity that what is considered the norm.

Post-match reaction

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp told BT Sport: "It was not the most exciting game, we had a few chances but didn't score.

"I am very sure it's very rare to have a game like this (when 5-0 ahead). We had to be serious, we were.

"I wanted to win (tonight), it's a knock-out but the boys did really well."

Captain Jordan Henderson said: "We're through to the next round and that's the most important thing. We wanted to win but we got through."

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