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As it happenedended1520372635

Liverpool vs Porto, Champions League - as it happened

Re-live all the action from Anfield

Liam Corless,Tom Newman
Tuesday 06 March 2018 20:15 GMT
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Adam Lallana showed what he can add to Liverpool’s attack
Adam Lallana showed what he can add to Liverpool’s attack (Getty)

Liverpool host Porto at Anfield in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie, with the hosts' 5-0 first-leg lead giving this game the feeling of a formality to be completed, rather than a true contest for quarter final progression.

Jurgen Klopp’s side gave a stunning performance over 90 minutes at the Estádio do Dragão just under a fortnight ago, ending Porto’s 21 game unbeaten run at home with ease through goals from Liverpool’s eclectic trio of Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, who bagged a hat-trick.

Liverpool’s first-leg performance has given them a seemingly unassailable lead to take back to Merseyside, and one senses it might require some ‘Istanbul’ antics of a Portuguese origin to turn this tie back around for Porto.

Since being demolished at home in the first leg, Porto have returned to winning ways domestically, though the task posed by playing Liverpool at Anfield may prove to be a stretch too far for Sérgio Conceição’s side.

Follow the game below with our live blog:



Match preview

It’s a big game for...

Mohammed Salah. Liverpool’s Egyptian talisman collected his third Premier League player of the month award on Monday, and Tuesday’s contest presents yet another chance for the likely recipient of the PFA Players’ Player of the Year Award to prove himself on the biggest stage of domestic football. Goals have not been hard for Salah to come by in 2017/18, with six in the UCL to date, and he could well add to this tally in a potential demolition of Porto at Anfield.

Best stat...

Liverpool have scored more goals than any other team in this season’s Champions League (28), including 25 in the past five games.

Remember when...

Liverpool ran riot in the first-leg of this tie with an exhibition of fierce attacking prowess? Any excuse to watch these goals again...

Player to watch...

Sadio Mane. After scoring a hat-rick in the first leg in Portugal, Mane will be looking to add to his UCL goal tally at Anfield, currently boasting six goals in 2017/18. He will be brimming with confidence, having also scored in consecutive Premier League games since the victory over Porto just over a fortnight ago.

Past three meetings...

Porto 0 Liverpool 5, Champions League, February 2018

Liverpool 4 Porto 0, Champions League, November 2007

Porto 1 Liverpool 1, Champions League, September 2007

Form guide...

Liverpool: WDWWWW

Porto: WLWWWW

Odds…

Liverpool to win: 13/25

Draw: 16/5

Porto to win: 6/1

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Hello and welcome to our LIVE coverage of tonight's huge Champions League clash between PSG and Real Madrid. 

Los Blancos lead 3-1 going into the second leg in the French capital and Unai Emery's Ligue 1 leaders have their work cut out to avoid an early exit from the competition.

We'll also be bringing you goal updates from Liverpool vs Porto. The Reds are already virtually assured of a place in the quarter-finals after winning the first leg 5-0.

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Real Madrid team news

We're still waiting on confirmation of PSG's starting XI...

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Liverpool vs Porto team news

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PSG team news

And here is how Les Parisiens line up for tonight's huge clash at the Parc des Princes:

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Ginola: Zidane 'ideal for PSG'

Former Paris Saint-Germain star David Ginola reckons Unai Emery will be sacked if the club crashes out of the Champions League tonight - and the ex-Spurs man believes the man in the opposite dug-out is the ideal candidate to replace him.

Ginola said:

"Emery will have no excuses left. The Qatari owners will have given him all resources imaginable for him to succeed.

"They have signed Neymar and Mbappe, they have renovated the club's training facilities; he [Emery] has a lot of people working with him.

"If with all that he cannot achieve [success] then he will have to leave his position. 

"I think Zidane is the man to replace him. He is ideal for coaching PSG.

"Winning the Champions League with PSG should be his next objective. Then he will have time to move on to the French national team."

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PSG fans gather outside the stadium prior to kick-off 

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Zinedine Zidane has boldly opted to leave both Luka Modric AND Toni Kroos out of Real Madrid's starting XI tonight - but Steven Gerrard reckons he understands the Frenchman's team selection.

Gerrard told BT Sport:

"I think the reason he's gone with Casemiro and Kovacic is because they're two ball-winners. They're going to sit in front of the back four and protect them tonight.

"Then they (Madrid) can use the pace out wide of Vazquez and Asensio out wide to try and support Ronaldo and Benzema."

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The scene is set at the Parc des Princes:

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Real Madrid's fans show their support prior to kick-off 

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Real Madrid vs PSG - last five meetings

  • Real Madrid 3-1 PSG, February 2018 (Champions League)
  • Real Madrid 1-0 PSG, November 2015 (Champions League)
  • PSG 0-0 Real Madrid, October 2015 (Champions League)
  • PSG 0-1 Real Madrid, January 2014 (Friendly)
  • PSG 0-1 Real Madrid, July 2013 (Friendly)
Liam Corless6 March 2018 19:20

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