Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
THIAGO HITS SWEET SPOT
Spectacular long-range strike from Spanish star stuns Porto
EVEN without the full array of stars, Thiago gave fans at Anfield something truly worth seeing.
The Spaniard’s sublime opener will rank alongside the most memorable goals on these fabled European nights.
Thiago, who has been cursed by injury since his move to Liverpool in the summer of 2020, made up for lost time with the sweetest of strikes that will be replayed for years to come, and set his side on course to a comfortable win.
A further, brilliant goal from Mo Salah sunk Porto and gave the Reds their biggest-ever points total in a Champions League group, with 15 – and also showed that even at half strength they are more than a match for most Euro opponents.
Jurgen Klopp has now used 56 players in his 65 European games as Liverpool manager.
And the latest to be blooded in the Champions League were summer signing Ibrahima Konate, and 19-year-old midfielder Tyler Morton.
Morton has made quite the impression in the junior ranks at the Merseyside club, with the German coach singing his praises before kick-off.
There were certainly glimpses why, as he produced an assured first 45 minutes.
One goal-saving block just
before the interval, when Mehdi Taremi pulled back into a dangerous area, had the Kop on their feet with a standing ovation.
A second tackle on the edge of the box sent Liverpool on a sweeping counter-attack, which will have had Klopp doing cartwheels inside. In fact, that break led to an impressive 37thminute finish by Sadio Mane after Thiago’s exquisite pass.
But it was ruled out for a marginal offside, which looked decidedly dubious on the replay.
If Morton is the promising future, then Thiago is very much – finally – the here and now for Liverpool, after overcoming the injury problems which have dogged his Anfield career.
Against a Porto team who looked dangerous going forward, but less assured out of possession, he was able to showcase his full range of talents, with sublime passes, shimmering dummies – and THAT finish.
It was worth the admission fee alone, which was good news for capacity crowd here who had long ago booked tickets expecting to see a full-throttle Reds performance and not a shadow team.
An Alex Oxlade-chamberlain free-kick from out on the right in the 52nd minute, was only partially cleared by Otavio, and the little Spanish ace, just outside the penalty box, met it with the sweetest of low strikes that scorched into the net.
The technical phrase is, he creamed it. Or perhaps something slightly less printable.
It was only his second Liverpool goal, but it was worth the wait, a radar-evading heatseeking missile that cruised just above ground level into the net.
Porto had their moments either side of half-time, but the truth is, that an understrength Liverpool side were still far too good, showing the gulf in class that is growing between the top of the Premier League and the rest of Europe.
Salah emphasised that when he jinked inside brilliantly onto sub Jordan Henderson’s fine pass to fire in at the near post in the 70th minute.