Thiago wondergoal sinks plucky Porto
Liverpool maintain their perfect Euro record
What appeared an unwanted dead rubber ended up with plenty of positives for Jurgen Klopp — not least a stunning first goal of the season for thiago alcantara.
Even though Virgil van Dijk and trent alexander-arnold were rested with Liverpool already qualified for the Champions League knockout stages, Klopp picked other big hitters like Mo Salah and was rewarded for taking the tie more seriously than other managers might have done.
thiago’s brilliant half-volley was worth the ticket admission on its own and underlined why he offers something different to Liverpool’s other midfielders.
there was an encouraging nod to the future with an impressive display from local youngster tyler Morton on his second senior start.
and as for the here and now, of course Salah chipped in with his customary goal. that’s 17 in 17 games for the Egyptian this season and his latest goal secured a fifth win in five Champions League games, matched only by Bayern Munich and ajax.
Klopp doesn’t do ‘flat’ and after a quiet first half in which Porto had good chances, Liverpool were woken up after meeting their boss at half-time.
When alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s free-kick after 52 minutes was cleared to thiago 30 yards from goal, the Spanish international showed brilliant technique to get the outside of his right boot over the ball and send it sizzling and swerving away from goalkeeper Diogo Costa into the corner. It was his first goal of an injury-hit season that saw him miss 14 matches with a calf injury but he could be important in the coming months, his class on the ball complementing the athletes Klopp has at his disposal.
the goal killed Porto’s belief and Salah added a second after 70 minutes, cutting inside from his favoured spot on the right angle of the penalty area, leaving Mateus Uribe on the floor and rifling into the net.
Klopp immediately took off his star man with Saturday’s Premier League game against Southampton in mind.
‘thunderbolt’ was how the manager described thiago’s strike. Klopp said: ‘It was a great goal, good technique, to be honest it was less of a chance than others we had.
‘I am really pleased but we shouldn’t forget we needed some luck, too. Porto had their moments but they didn’t score.
‘We could have lost. We need to play better on Saturday.’
Liverpool thumped Porto 5-1 in Portugal in September but this was more closely contested.
Indeed, the visitors had three good openings inside the first 15 minutes — and missed the lot.
Klopp wanted a reaction and nearly got it after 20 minutes. Konstantinos tsimikas’ outswinging corner found Ibrahima Konate unmarked but his header went straight into the arms of goalkeeper Costa.
Morton, 19, impressed in midfield, making his parents — season ticket holders in the anfield Road stand — proud.
and Liverpool thought they’d scored after 36 minutes when Sadio Mane tucked away a cute pass by thiago only for the goal to be ruled out by VaR for a marginal offside. those who made it to a chilly anfield were rewarded when thiago broke the deadlock with the kind of technique that could be put in a coaching manual.
he got a huge ovation from the Kop when he was replaced by Jordan henderson after 63 minutes, and andy Robertson also came on for his return from a bruised ankle.
Salah added his obligatory goal after 70 minutes to secure the points. henderson played a pass into his feet from where the Egyptian King shimmied before dispatching a clinical finish.
he and Mane then departed and replacement Divock Origi was denied a penalty by VaR which judged that the foul on him occurred just outside the box.
It was a night Klopp was glad lacked drama, though Porto’s own Champions League qualification depends on their final group game
against atletico Madrid. Klopp’s toughest moment came in the post-match Zoom press conference when he was berated by an african journalist for calling the africa Cup of Nations ‘little’ after the 4-0 win against arsenal.
‘I’d never do that,’ said Klopp as he was accused of belittling african football. ‘It was ironic.’