Nobody seemed to believe Jurgen Klopp when he warned of FC Porto’s threat prior to Liverpool’s first meeting with their Champions League quarter-final opponents.
But within 10 minutes of the first leg kicking off at Anfield, the validity of the German’s trepidation had been underlined by the visitors’ forward-thinking approach.
Sergio Conceicao’s men should in truth have opened the scoring when Moussa Marega failed to get his foot fully around a near-post effort at the Kop end in the early stages.
And they continually used the Malian striker to work themselves into dangerous areas before a generous deflection on a Naby Keita strike turned the game in the hosts’ favour.
A further goal from Roberto Firmino shortly after served to stem Porto’s ambition across the remainder of the 90 minutes, but the effects of that change in approach were not all negative.
The obvious downside from the Portuguese champions’ point of view was that their own attacking threat was significantly blunted by a safety-first outlook in the second half.
However, that the tie was not completely decided by further goals on Merseyside sets Wednesday’s rematch up nicely as far as the underdogs are concerned.
At the Estadio do Dragao, where the home team have lost just twice this season, Porto will be keen to show the attacking intent that rattled the Reds at Anfield.
What’s more, Conceicao’s side know they owe their place in the quarter-finals to a brilliantly end-to-end period of extra against AS Roma - all-out attack suits them.
While the visitors know that an away goal of their own would effectively kill the tie, they will not wish to leave things to chance by willingly engaging in a similar slugfest.
As such, keeping things tight will be Klopp’s number one priority on Wednesday evening, making his now-familiar selection headache in midfield absolutely key.
The Liverpool manager appears to have recently discovered a perfect balance in the middle in the form of Keita, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson.
But, given the context surrounding this fixture, he could certainly be forgiven for erring more on the side of caution when making his picks, particularly given that, on this occasion, solidity will trump creativity in that part of the pitch.
The Reds’ two-goal cushion wouldn’t be the only thing tempting Klopp into naming an engine room featuring a mix of James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum, Fabinho and Henderson, either.
The German will also be influenced by Keita’s excellent recent form and his likely need for a player who can dribble through lines and commit players against Cardiff on Sunday.
It isn’t often that managers get the chance to make changes for a Champions League quarter-final with one eye on the Premier League; Manchester United, Tottenham and City would certainly have liked that luxury this week.
So Klopp should ensure he makes the most of it when deciding his starting XI in Portugal, and should they progress, it will be Barcelona in the semi-finals.
