Liverpool thrash FC Porto

 

The venue was Porto. The team was FC Porto. And, Liverpool had fun again. The floodgates opened as the Red machine mauled the home side and reminded everyone that they mean business this season.

Liverpool sported black armbands in memory of Roger Hunt but perhaps the finest tribute to their prolific former striker came in the form of another ruthless rout of Porto. Late Roger would have undoubtedly approved of Liverpool’s clinical finishing and vast superiority.

Jurgen Klopp’s team made Porto look like school kids – that had boasted an unbeaten start to the season without conceding a goal at home until Liverpool’s latest bruising arrival.

Sergio Conceicao gathered his squad in a huddle around the centre circle after the final whistle before leading them on a lap of apology around this stadium.

 There were not many Porto fans left to accept it.

They have witnessed 5-1, 4-1 and 5-0 defeats in the last three Champions League home games against Liverpool and had long accepted that any talk of revenge was entirely without foundation.

 Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino netted two goals apiece as Liverpool waltzed to a comfortable 5-1 victory away at Porto.

All of Liverpool’s goal-scorers will acknowledge the contribution of Curtis Jones. The 20-year-old midfielder was involved in all five goals and underlined his growing maturity with a performance that combined defensive industry with creative craft.

Liverpool were the better side from start to finish and managed to turn their superiority into a goal in the 18th minute, when Salah pounced on the rebound after Porto goalkeeper Diogo Costa denied Curtis Jones, as the Egyptian forward netted the opener.

Neither Diogo Jota nor Jordan Henderson managed to beat the goalkeeper on two occasions following Salah's goal, but Sadio Mane doubled Liverpool's lead just before the interval after an assist from James Milner.

Jota wasted another two fine chances after the break to put the game to bed, but Salah didn't miss from inside the box on the hour mark and practically finished the game as a contest.

Porto didn't give in after conceding the third and pushed for a goal, though, with Mehdi Taremi pulling one back with 15 minutes to go, but that seemed to wake Liverpool back up as Roberto Firmino came off the bench to bag a brace after replacing Salah.

Liverpool have registered two wins from two in the Champions League and they currently top Group B on six points, followed by Atletico Madrid with four points and Porto, who have just one point, while bottom-placed AC Milan have lost both of their two Champions League games so far.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 29/10/2021 Liverpool thrash FC Porto

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Faisal Caesar