Porto have lost 11-1 on aggregate vs Liverpool across the last 4 years - can they realistically upset Klopp's side?
Porto’s last two home clashes with Liverpool have ended in disaster. A 0-5 drubbing in 2018 in the Champions League round of 16 preceded a 1-4 dismantling the following season at the quarter final stage, showing a considerable gulf in class between the two sides.
Since those two meetings, Porto’s team has changed a lot - and arguably for the worse. Top class players like Eder Militao, Felipe and Hector Herrera have departed for Madrid, while Danilo Pereira has made the move to PSG - and the legendary Iker Casillas has long since retired. That’s not to mention the loss of Yacine Brahimi too, who for a long time was Porto’s talisman.
Now, Porto do still boast some top quality players who can influence the game, but arguably their biggest strength comes from their team cohesion and organisation, a stubborness that has helped see them secure some very impressive results over the last year, drawing versus Manchester City, defeating and knocking out Juventus, and, most recently, holding La Liga champions Atletico Madrid to a goalless draw in their opening fixture of the 2021-22 Champions League campaign.
Porto are, after all, Champions League perennials, and their collective experience on the continental stage is an invaluable asset that so often helps them in this competition. Experience and commitment will only get you so far though.
And Porto have a significant problem that could prove pivotal in this match. Veteran centreback Pepe is looking set to miss the game with Liverpool due to injury, while his starting centreback partner, Chancel Mbemba, is also going to be absent for the fixture, having picked up a late red card in the previous match against Atletico Madrid. Diogo Leite, meanwhile, was loaned out to Braga, leaving Porto short of defensive options.
It means that Conceicao will likely be starting a centreback pairing consisting of Marcano - who has played a handful of games this season but was previously out of action for a year due to injury - and Fabio Cardoso, who was signed from Santa Clara this summer but is yet to play a single minute for Porto. It is not the ideal scenario for Porto, particularly considering they will likely be on the backfoot for the majority of the match.
It also only extends the likelihood of Conceicao electing to play two more defensive midfielders in the middle of the park - bet it Sergio Oliveira and Uribe, or Uribe and Grujic - with the likes of Fabio Vieira and Vitinha being dropped to the bench.
Porto will have some attacking flair and ability on the field though, most notably in the shape of Luis Diaz. He’s fully expected to start after an excellent start to the season has seen him become this campaign’s top Primeira Liga goalscorer with 5 goals in 7 games, proving a clinical finisher as well as an excellent dribbler. His movement and skill could well prove a threat to Liverpool, particularly in counter-attacking opportunities.
Mehdi Taremi will also be a real danger and a crucial outlet for Porto. The Iranian striker is a well-rounded forward, offering good physicality, technique and a clear instinct for finding the back of the net. He has no real weakness and could be a real handful for the Liverpool defence. He isn’t a slow individual either, and is adept at winning his side a penalty when they need it the most. He’ll work hard for his side too.
If Porto’s stars do manage to step up, you have to give the Portuguese outfit a chance - but with the defensive absences and the quality of the opposition, it’s a mammoth task.
Mehdi Taremi. Photo author: Андрей Фоменко. License link.
