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Having already booked their place in the UEFA Champions League Round of 16, Liverpool welcomed Porto to Anfield for their fifth Group B fixture on Wednesday night.
The Reds, who had a 100 percent win record in Europe going into the game, were already guaranteed to finish first in their Champions League group. Second-placed Porto, on the other hand, needed at least a point to get themselves into a comfortable position ahead of the final matchday.
Unfortunately, even a much-changed Liverpool side were too much to handle for the Portuguese visitors, who lost 2-0. Despite seeing Sadio Mane’s first-half opener ruled out, Porto failed to gather themselves and put on a more respectable show.
The Anfield outfit kept knocking on Porto’s doors and eventually broke the deadlock through Thiago Alcantara in the 52nd minute.
Mohamed Salah then joined the party in the 70th minute, scoring his team’s second and final goal of the night. Porto tried to trouble Liverpool keeper Alisson, but could only call him into action once over the course of the match.
The 2-0 win over Porto extended Liverpool’s perfect record in the UEFA Champions League this season.
Below, we will take a look at the five players who helped the Reds achieve perfection against Porto on Wednesday:
#5 Joel Matip
With Virgil van Dijk given a much-needed break, Joel Matip started alongside Ibrahima Konate at the heart of the Liverpool defense.
There were some concerns about the experienced defender’s communication skills, or the lack thereof, in the first half. But he grew in confidence as the match matured.
Leadership skills aside, Matip enjoyed an excellent match. He was commanding in the air, winning eight aerial tackles, and did not let anyone dribble past him.
Matip also registered four clearances and three tackles while also successfully delivering three long balls.
All in all, it was an impressive outing by the 30-year-old who should have received a pat on the back by Jurgen Klopp.
#4 Neco Williams
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp rested some of his key players in Wednesday night's encounter with FC Porto. First-choice right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold was one of those absentees.
As a result, his understudy, Neco Williams, got to experience a magical Champions League night at Anfield.
The Welshman had the responsibility of keeping a lid on Porto’s Luis Diaz. He struggled with his positioning early on but brushed the discomfort aside soon enough.
He was potent in both attack and defense, successfully registering five dribbles, three tackles and two key passes.
#3 Jordan Henderson
Ahead of the Porto clash, Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson started in each UEFA Champions League Group B encounter. The Englishman even played a starring role in Liverpool’s UEFA Champions League opener against AC Milan, pitching in with a match-winning goal.
Considering how important he is to this Liverpool side, Klopp decided to give him a well-deserved rest against Porto.
Henderson was introduced in place of Thiago Alcantara in the 63rd minute. He only took a couple of minutes to get accustomed to the tempo of the match and came up with an assist.
His square pass to Salah was simple but it was enough to get the Egyptian winger into space between the Porto defenders.
Henderson’s 27-minute spell also saw him win five duels, complete two tackles and get a shot away, albeit off target.
#2 Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah has been Liverpool’s most prolific forward this season and by a country mile. The right-winger has 17 goals and six assists to his name in 17 games across all competitions, reflecting his decisiveness in front of goal.
Having already qualified as group toppers, Liverpool did not necessarily need to field Salah against Porto. However, given his desperation to improve upon his tally, Klopp could not help but keep him in his starting XI.
Salah was eager to score, of course, but he did not show the urgency we usually associate with him. He was happy to take it slow and only contributed when the ball came into his territory.
The 29-year-old Liverpool winger troubled Porto defenders with his pace and link-up play. The goal he scored in the 70th minute came from a combination of the two aforementioned traits.
Salah backheeled the ball to Henderson to start the move and swiftly got it back from the Englishman. He sidestepped Mateus Uribe’s challenge and finally curled the ball into the near post.
After seeing his ace score another brilliant goal, Klopp subbed him out in the 71st minute for Divock Origi.
#1 Thiago Alcantara
Thiago Alcantara’s Liverpool career is yet to reach the stratospheric heights many anticipated. However, if he manages to keep playing as he did against Porto, we are certain of seeing him become a regular under Jurgen Klopp.
Alcantara operated primarily on the left side of the midfield and was responsible for keeping the game ticking. He showcased his passing range with a mix of ground passes and long-balls, emerging as the most influential midfielder in the match.
Thiago’s best moment of the match came in the second half when he demonstrated his long-range shooting ability to put Liverpool ahead. Collecting the ball after a botched Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain free-kick, Thiago hit the ball with the outside of his boot, catching it on the half-volley.
The ball flew past Porto keeper Diogo Costa to give Liverpool the lead on Wednesday night.
