Thiago wondergoal sinks plucky Porto
Liverpool maintain their perfect Euro record
ARARE goal by Thiago Alcantara, and the customary one from mo Salah, was enough to maintain liverpool’s 100-per-cent record in this season’s Champions league — an achievement matched only by Bayern munich and Ajax.
Porto had chances to cause an upset at Anfield but were undone early in the second half when Thiago grabbed his first goal of the season with a stunning half-volley from 30 yards.
In contrast, Salah’s scoring contribution was entirely expected as he kept up his current goal-a-game ratio before he was withdrawn by Jurgen Klopp to save him for bigger
battles ahead. Despite liverpool having already qualified for the knockout stages as group winners, Klopp named a stronger team than expected with only a couple of youngsters included — Neco Williams and 19-year-old Tyler morton.
Some big-hitters were rested, most notably Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, but others started — Salah and Sadio mane among them.
Porto’s best-known player, 38-year-old defender Pepe, lined up for the Portuguese league leaders before ageing limbs got the better of him after 25 minutes and he had to be replaced.
But it was the visitors, thumped 5-1 at home by liverpool in September, who began brightly and it was easy to tell the result carried greater significance for them with their progress into the last 16 still in the balance.
Porto had three excellent chances to opening the scoring inside the first 15 minutes — and missed the lot.
Firstly, Konstantinos Tsimikas dwelt on the ball and was robbed by Otavio, whose first-time cross found mehdi Taremi with the Iranian’s close-range header blocked by Joel matip.
liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate then made a goal-saving tackle to deny Evanilson after the Brazilian had got goalside.
Clearest of all, luis Diaz set up Otavio on the six-yard line but as Tsimikas lunged in, the Porto player screwed his shot wide and his subsequent penalty appeal fell on deaf ears.
Klopp wanted a reaction and nearly got it after 20 minutes. Tsimikas’ outswinging corner found Konate but his header went straight to goalkeeper Diogo Costa.
It was a tough test for morton, a local liverpool lad who was up against Porto’s gifted midfield in only his second senior start.
But wearing the No 80 shirt, the competition didn’t faze him. Playing alongside Thiago, he did everything to make his parents — season-ticket holders in the Anfield Road stand — proud with his energy and reading of the game.
Konate became the first name in the book for a barge on Joao mario but the challenge seemed to belatedly wake up liverpool.
They thought they’d taken the lead after 36 minutes when Thiago threaded a pass for mane to fire past Costa but, after a lengthy delay, VAR ruled the goal out for offside.
The Anfield crowd who had braved the cold for a dead-rubber were rewarded with a stunning strike from Thiago to open the scoring. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s free-kick was cleared to the Spanish international from 25 yards and he made a perfect connection with the outside of his right boot to send a low finish sizzling past Costa.
It was only Thiago’s second goal of an injury-interrupted spell at liverpool but worth the wait. The way the midfielder got his foot over the ball to make it swerve away from the goalkeeper was worthy of diagrams in a coaching manual for kids.
The 30-year-old had only returned to the team earlier this month after missing 14 games with a calf problem and he got a big ovation from The Kop when he was replaced by Jordan Henderson after 63 minutes, with Andy Robertson also coming on for his return from a bruised ankle.
Salah added his obligatory goal after 70 minutes to give liverpool a cushion. He shimmied inside mateus Uribe who fell over and despatched a low finish into the bottom-right corner.
Salah has now scored 17 goals in 17 games for liverpool and sealed another good European night for the Reds.
‘As a group, we wanted to approach it professionally and win the game. It keeps standards up,’ said Oxlade-Chamberlain.
LIVERPOOL (4-3-3): Alisson 6; N Williams 6, Matip 7, Konate 6, Tsimikas 6 (Robertson 64); Oxlade-Chamberlain 6 (Milner 82), Morton 7, Thiago 8 (Henderson 63); Salah 8 (Fabinho 71), Minamino 5, Mane 6 (Origi 72). Subs not used: Adrian, Kelleher, Jota, Phillips, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk. Booked: Konate, Milner. PORTO (4-4-2): D Costa 6; Joao Mario 7, Pepe 6 (Cardoso 25), Mbemba 5, Sanusi 6; Otavio 6, Uribe 5 (Grujic 78), Oliveira 6 (Vitinha 64), Diaz 6; Evanilson 6 (Martinez 77), Taremi 6 (Conceicao 64). Subs not used: Marchesin, B Costa, Vieira, Pepe, Corona, Wendell, Manafa. Booked: Uribe, Mbemba. Man of the match: Mo Salah. Referee: Felix Zwayer (Germany).