Champions League: 3 reasons behind Liverpool's 2-0 win over Porto
Liverpool secure a comfortable 2-0 win over Porto in their Champions League quarter-final first leg encounter.
Porto had a chance to probe the Liverpool defense in the 2nd minute as Moussa Marega's half chance sailed harmlessly away from goal. The Reds made Porto rue their missed chance as Naby Keita saw his deflected attempt sail past the reach of Iker Casillas to give Jurgen Klopp's side a 1-0 lead.
The Reds dominated proceedings with their crisp passing moves and doubled their lead in the 26th minute through Roberto Firmino. Porto's best chance fell to Marega as his shot was smartly saved by Alisson. Sergio Conceicao's side managed to trouble Liverpool on a few occasions in the second half but failed to beat a sturdy Liverpool defense.
Without much ado, let us take a look at the three reasons behind Liverpool's 2-0 win over Porto.
#3 Keita and Henderson shine as Liverpool take a two-goal advantage to Portugal
Jurgen Klopp made three changes to the side that faced Southampton in the Premier League, as Jordan Henderson, Dejan Lovren and James Milner came in for Gini Wijnaldum, Joel Matip, and Andy Robertson respectively.
The midfield trio of Fabinho, Henderson, and Keita took control of proceedings as Porto failed to live up to Liverpool's high-intensity style of play during the initial stages of the first half. Henderson, operating as the box-to-box midfielder, created opportunities with this incisive passing. He continuously exploited the gaps between Porto's Centre Back and Left Back, which freed Salah to run behind the Porto defense.
Henderson played a crucial part in the build-up to Liverpool's second goal as his delightfully weighted ball between Militao and Telles found Alexander-Arnold who squared it to Roberto Firmino to tap into an empty net. Overall, it was a fantastic performance from the skipper as his energetic display did not allow Porto to find a way back into the game.
Naby Keita continued his fine run of form with a much-improved display as the Guinean scored his second goal for Liverpool. Keita linked up well with Mane in attack and his timely interceptions in areas near the center circle helped his side recover possession to mount sustained pressure on the visitors.
The former Leipzig man ended the game with a pass success rate of 85%, making two key passes, winning 6/8 tackles and recovering possession on ten occasions.