We’ll have a live report from Anfield along shortly. I’m guessing Andy Hunter is sucking his pen in the press-room at Anfield, trying to think of 800 words to write about that match. While you’re waiting for that report, why not read this depressing story about the venal, grasping, petty and spiteful property investment fund that is not only evicting my popular local non-League football team from their ground, but forbidding them from using their own name.
Liverpool are through to the quarter-finals: It’s a game that won’t live long in the memory of anyone who saw it, but Liverpool and their supporters won’t care as they advance to the quarter-finals. “You’ve got to give credit to Porto, who played well,” says Jordan Henderson in an interview with BT Sport’s Paul Dempsey. “This is the business end of the season, the next few months. We’ve got to keep going, putting in performances and the results will look after themselves.”
Full-time: Liverpool 0-0 Porto (Agg: 5-0)
Peep! Peep! Peeeeeeep!!! It’s all over, but still Porto’s incredible fans sing on. It’s finished scoreless on the night, but Liverpool advance to the quarter-finals courtesy of their 5-0 first leg win in Porto.
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90+1 min: Meanwhile in Paris, Real Madrid are 2-1 up on the night and 5-2 up on aggregate against 10-man PSG, who have lost Marco Verratti to a red card. unai Emery will almost certainly lose his job on the back of this defeat, if not immediately then almost certainly in the summer. Perhaps Arsene Wenger will be available to take over.
90 min: Jordan Henderson is penalised for a shove on Sergio Oliveira.
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89 min: Danny Ings is denied by a fine Iker Casillas save, the goalkeeper leaping high to claw a powerful, goal-bound header behind for a corner after getting caught slightly off his line. Ings looks gutted.
86 min: A Porto free-kick is deflected into the path of midfielder Oliver Torres, who tries to fire it home from about eight yards. Between them, Ragnar Klavan and Dejan Lovren block the shot and scramble the ball clear.
84 min: Hats off to Porto’s travelling fans, who have been bouncing up and down, singing non-stop for every minute of this match. Without them, the atmosphere at this fairly uninspiring game would be pancake flat.
83 min: Porto win a corner after a Sergio Oliveira shot from distance brings a smart save out of Loris Karius. Nothing comes of it.
82 min: Mo Salah unleashes a shot on goal after running on to a pass from deep. He doesn’t trouble Casillas unduly with his low, diagonal effort from a tight angle. The goalkeeper gets down quickly to save.
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79 min: Porto substitution: Vincent Aboubaker off, Goncalo Paciencia on. Liverpool substitution: Emre Can off, Ragnar Klavan on.
78 min: Meanwhile in Paris, Edinson Cavani has pulled a goal back for PSG. It’s 1-1 on the night, but Real Madrid 4-2 PSG on aggregate. The biggest big-game bottlers of them all are about to go out again.
76 min: Alberto Moreno sprints on to a loose ball after Olivier Torres plays a reckless cross-field pass across the face of his own penalty area. The Spanish left-back shoots on goal, but once again Felipe is on hand to block and take the sting out of a shot that loops into the waiting arms of Iker Casillas.
75 min: Good play from Liverpool, with Jordan Henderson arrowing a cross to the far post and Alberto Moreno getting in behind Max Perreira to steer the ball back into the mixer from the byline. Porto clear.
73 min: A match that was a foregone conclusion before it began is now being played at little more than a walking pace as the players on both sides go through the motions. Liverpool substitution: Sadio Mane off, Mo Salah on.
70 min: Adam Lallana floats a cross towards the post, but it’s too close to Iker Casillas for the lurking Danny Ings and Sadio Mane to steer it goalwards. The Porto goalkeeper claims with ne’er a bother.
68 min: Porto substitution: Majeed Waris off with a calf injury, Ricardo on.
66 min: Jordan Henderson sends in a cross from the left and Danny Ings steers a header goalwards. He’s falling backwards and can’t get any power on it, making the save very straightforward for Casillas.
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65 min: Nothing is happening. Nothing.
62 min: Liverpool substitution: Roberto Firmino off, Danny Ings on. Porto substitution: Andre Andre off, Sergio Oliveira on. In all the excitement of a moment ago, Jordan Henderson picked up a yellow card for some indiscretion or other that I must confess passed me by.
60 min: Roberto Firmino sprints on to the ball in the porto penalty area nad looks likely to break tonight’s deadlock, only to be denied by a splendid Max Perreira block.
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59 min: The lesser-spotted Danny Ings is about to get a run out for Liverpool. He’s had a horrible time of it with injuries over the past two years, so good luck to him.
57 min: Roberto Firmino drives forward and plays the ball to Mane standing with his back to goal a couple of yards outside the Porto penalty area. He’s unable to turn and pings it towards Jordan Henderson, as Liverpool continue to huff and puff for little reward in the final third. They’re 5-0 up so they won’t mind.
55 min: Joe Gomez tussles for a 50-50 ball down by the by-line and it rolls out of play. He appeals for a corner but doesn’t get one.
54 min: For the first time tonight, Liverpool’s fans rouse themselves to drown out the travelling 4,000 from Porto with a half-hearted rendition of the Fields of Anfield Road. It doesn’t last long and Porto’s fans are soon back in full voice.
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53 min: Meanwhile in Paris, Real Madrid have gone 4-1 up on aggregate, courtesy of Cristiano Ronaldo.
49 min: Majeed Waris wins the ball form Joe Gomes in midfield, takes it past Adam Lallana and unleashes a shot - the first on target on the game - that brings a smart save out of Loris Karius. Porto are unable to capitalise from the ensuing corner.
47 min: Moreno and Lallana combine down the left flank, with the left squaring the ball low and hard for James Milner. He goes to ground and is unable to steer his shot on target. A great chance goes begging.
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46 min: OK, so now Porto have got the ball rolling - I may have jumped the gun with that last post. Iker Casillas got a very warm round of applause from Liverpool’s fans as he made his way to the goal he’ll be defending in this second half, which he acknowledged graciously.
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Second half: Liverpool 0-0 Porto (Agg: 5-0)
46 min: Porto get the ball rolling in the second half and reports from Paris, where it’s also scoreless between PSG and Real Madrid, suggest their match isn’t much more entertaining than this one. You can follow that with Scott Murray.
Half-time: Liverpool 0-0 Porto (Agg: 5-0)
Peep! There’s no added time and the players troop off at the break. It was an uneventful, dull first half with few if any highlights. Sadio Mane has had the best chance of the game so far, hitting the foot of the post with an effort inside the penalty area.
43 min: Alberto Moreno picks up a pass from Emre Can down by the corner, cuts inside through the Porto penalty area and goes down theatrically under a “challenge” from Max Perreira. He appeals for a penalty but doesn’t get one. Replays suggest he wasn’t touched and was trying to gull the referee.
39 min: The camera cuts to Jurgen Klopp, who is standing on the touchline with his hands in his pockets, with an expression on his face that suggests he’s just smelt something particularly unpleasant but is too polite to say anything about it.
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35 min: Roberto Firmino picks up a nice pass from Jame Milner and tries to play Sadio Mane in behind with a neat dink. The Senegalese mistimes his run and is flagged for offside. It’s a shame, really, as it was a neat, quick passing move.
34 min: Andre Andre is booked for a foul on somebody or other and Liverpool have a free-kick halfway inside the Porto half, near the left touchline. James Milner arcs in a delivery, which Dejan Lovren connects with but heads on to the roof of the goal.
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33 min: That Mane chance has jolted the Andfield crowd out of their slumber - he was very unlucky. Moreno did well to keep the ball in play down by the corner flag, before James Milner picked out Mane in the penalty area with a fine cross.
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29 min: Chance! Sadio Mane misses the chance of the game so far, shooting low and hard towards the bottom left-hand corner, only to see his effort hammer the foot of the post and come back from whence it came.
28 min: Good work from Adam Lallana, who scampers down the right touchline and whips a cross to the near post. Roberto Firmino attacks the ball with his head, but it’s a mite too far in front of him to thump it as hard as he’d like. sprinting towards his own goal, Porto skipper Felipe clears with a header of his own.
27 min: Liverpool are enjoying a spell of dominance, but creating little or nothing in the way of chances. They don’t particularly need to, but Jurgen Klopp isn’t looking too thrilled with his team’s performance at the moment.
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25 min: Joe Gomez and Sadio Mane capitalise on a Diego Reyes mistake to work the ball in towards Roberto Firmino in the middle of the Porto penalty area. He gets it caught under his feet under pressure from Max Perreira and is unable to fire off a round. Porto clear.
22 min: The match continues to meander along at a fairly sedate tempo, with neither goalkeeper having had to make a save as we hit the quarter-way mark.
21 min: Aboubakaer plays the ball wide to Majeed Waris on the left touchline, but Alberto Moreno relieves him of possession.
19 min: Alberto Moreno gallops down the right wing and swings in a cross. Roberto Firmino is acrobatic in his attempt to poke home, but the airborne ball evades him. Not by much, mind.
15 min: Not for the first time, a long ball over the top towards Vincenty Aboubaker catches out Liverpool’s defence, but Loris Karius is quick off his line to claim it.
13 min: Elsewhere, just down by the technical areas, Porto right-back Max Perreira has hobbled off the pitch to get treatment on what looks quite a nasty gash on his left leg sustained in a challenge with James Milner. He gets patched up and trots back into battle.
during the Champions League round of 16, second leg, soccer match between Liverpool and FC Porto at Anfield Stadium, Liverpool, England, Tuesday March 6, 2018. (AP Photo/Dave Thompson) Photograph: Dave Thompson/AP
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12 min: Joe Gomez takes on Diogo Dalot on the right flank, but doesn’t have the beating of the Porto left-back, who blocks his attempt at a cross and clears.
10 min: Iker Casillas has been playing the ball out from the back any time it comes his way and is being put under a little, but not much pressure by Liverpool’s forwards. THere’s very little to report here. No shots on goal from either team so far.
8 min: Porto’s fans continue to soundtrack a game in which neither goalkeeper has been even remotely troubled. You have to applaud their enthusiasm in providing such vocal support for a team that’s 5-0 down from the first leg.
7 min: Porto midfielder Andre Andre, who is so good they named him twice, is penalised here for a foul on Adam Lallana as the Liverpool forward turns him. He gets a talking-to from the referee, but avoids a yellow card.
5 min: Getting a rare start at left-back, Alberto Moreno robs Majeed Waris of possession as the Porto forward tries to cut inside from the touchline. This bit of industry earns Moreno a round of applause from the denizens of the Kop behind Loris Karius’s goal.
4 min: Felipe robs Jordan Henderson of possession as the Liverpool captain becomes the first player on the pitch to break into a sprint with a burst towards the edge of the final third. Felipe takes the ball from him, advances and wins a free-kick.
3 min: Porto’s travelling fans are making all the noise early doors as they attempt to keep their team motivated. It’s a very pedestrian start.
FC Porto fans Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA
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2 min: Iker Casillas gets a few early touches in what could well be the goalkeeper’s last ever Champions League match. Way to make me feel old, Iker - I remember you watching you play when you were 17.
Liverpool v Porto is go ...
1 min: Liverpool kick off, playing in their usual home kit of red shirts, shorts and socks. Porto’s players wear blue and white striped shirts, blue shorts and white socks.
A minute's applause ...
There’s applause, followed by a perfectly observed silence to mark the passing of Davide Astori. Play is about to begin.
Not long now ...
The teams are out on the pitch at a packed Anfield going through the last of the pre-match formalities. Jordan Henderson and Felipe exchange souvenir pennants, German referee tosses the coin and kick off is just a couple of minutes away.
There'll be a minute's silence tonight ...
All this week’s Champions League and Europa League matches will be preceded by a minute’s silence in memory of Davide Astori, the Fiorentina captain who tragically died in his sleep on Saturday night, leaving behind a wife, young daughter and many, many grief-stricken former team-mates, friends and other colleagues. May he rest in peace.
This lot are certainly determined to enjoy themselves ...
Cracking clip of Porto fans on Merseyside today. Credit: @Fotosdacurva pic.twitter.com/VucV3uOBaz
— Away Days Videos (@AwayDaysVideos) March 6, 2018
Let's talk mentality ...
What, one wonders, is the mindset of a Porto player going into this game with such a huge deficit to overcome? Dread? Weary resignation? Steely determination to do the very best you can? Cautious optimism that you won’t get embarrassed again?
If Porto’s players approach this match in the same way as people writing minute-by-minute reporters, I expect they’ll hope to do their best under trying circumstances and have a nice time, while secretly wishing they were at home with their feet up watching PSG take on Real Madrid.
Liverpool v Porto line-ups
Liverpool: Karius, Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno, Can, Henderson, Milner, Mane, Firmino, Lallana.
Subs: Mignolet, van Dijk, Salah, Klavan, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Ings, Alexander-Arnold.
FC Porto: Casillas, Maxi Pereira, Felipe, Reyes, Dalot, Costa, Torres, Andre Andre, Corona, Aboubakar, Waris.
Subs: Jose Sa, Brahimi, Paciencia, Ricardo Pereira, Otavio, Sergio Oliveira,
Mata.
Referee: Felix Zwayer (Berlin)
Liverpool make five changes ...
Jurgen Klopp makes five changes for tonight’s game. Leading scorer Mo Salah is rested and will watch from the bench, while midfielder Adam Lallana is handed his first start in two months. Left-back Alberto Moreno also starts for the first time in six weeks with Andrew Robertson nursing a knock. Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold are also among the substitutes, with Joel Matip and Joe Gomez coming into defence and James Milner starting in midfield.
Sergio Conceicao speaks ...
Porto’s coach also appeared before the media yesterday and said his team are nowhere near as bad as the first leg deficit they are attempting to overcome suggests. “The five-goal margin is not a true reflection of the difference in quality between the two teams,” he said. “They were incredibly effective in front of goal in the first leg, but things could have gone differently. We want to get a much better result tomorrow. Representing Porto, playing in the knockout stages of the Champions League - there’s no bigger motivation than that. We know we can’t commit the same errors we did in the first leg. We need to improve.”
Jurgen Klopp speaks ...
Well, he spoke yesterday at his pre-match media briefing and suggested he won’t be fielding a second string side despite his team’s enormous advantage. “We won the first leg in an impressive way,” he said. “We respect Porto too much and we respect the competition too much to think about rotating. We had an intense game on Saturday; we had a few knocks and a few ill players. I haven’t made a decision about the line-up.”
On his side’s preparation for tonight’s match: “Yesterday we trained with nine players, he said. “Today is about recovery again and tomorrow we will focus on the finer details. We need to focus on the game. We want to win the second half of the tie.”
He’s not ruling out a few changes in personnel, mind. “We’re at a moment in the league when we all have to deliver constantly. We only use the players who are in the best shape. If I do choose a different line-up, it’ll only be because we want to win the game. I might make two or three changes.”
On his side’s impressive win in the first leg: “We were very effective, but Porto are a fantastic team and the Portuguese league is a fantastic league,” he said. “We won 5-0, yes, but only because we scored with virtually every chance we had. If we hadn’t, and if Porto had scored their two chances, the result would have been different.”
Early team news
Georginio Wijnaldum and Ben Woodburn were sidelined for Liverpool’s weekend stroll past Newcastle due to illness and may still be sidelined. Nathaniel Clyne remains sidelined as he recovers from a back injury, but is returning to full fitness.
For Porto, attackers Moussa Marega and Francisco Soares are out injured. Cameroonian striker Vincent Aboubakar and Porto-born Goncalo Paciencia may start up front, although the former is also an injury doubt. Porto left-back and assist-generator Alex Telles, once a Cheslea target, is also out, as is midfielder Danilo, who is reported to have been the subject of failed bids by Arsenal and Manchester United in January.
Porto need a tennis score ...
What are you doing here? Why aren’t you reading Scott Murray’s minute-by-minute report on PSG v Real Madrid? Well, seeing as you were good enough to drop by, let’s crack on ...
Having lost the first leg 5-0 at home, Porto need a miracle to advance to the quarter-final. Keeping Liverpool scoreless at Anfield and scoring an absolute minimum of five goals without reply just to get to penalties isn’t going to happen, but the Portuguese side do at least hope to salvage some pride by beating Liverpool for the very first time in their history. Kick-off is at 7.45pm (GMT), but stay tuned for team news and build-up.
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