Ahead of tomorrow night’s UEFA Champions League quarterfinal clash, Porto manager Sergio Conceicao said that his opponent, Liverpool, are sometimes “the best team in the world.”
Liverpool midfielder/part-time defender James Milner responded thusly:
“That’s a nice compliment, and we get those compliments by playing good football over a sustained period of time, but to be that you have to win trophies, and that’s something we haven’t done yet and what we’re trying to do this season.”
The Reds, who head into Porto up 2-0 on aggregate, have topped the power rankings in many a media publication this season, but they are still looking for the first trophy of the Jurgen Klopp era.
They head into the Wednesday clash in a very advantageous position on aggregate score, and also now with a major fitness boost. Klopp has confirmed that central defender Joe Gomez is in contention to play for the first time since December, as he traveled with the club.
Meanwhile midfielder Adam Lallana has returned to training and team captain Jordan Henderson is fully fit after suffering a slight ankle knock in the big win over Chelsea on Sunday.
There is some bad news though, as long-term absentee Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, while improving, is still not full go and Dejan Lovren is out due to illness.
“Ox and Joe both did really well at Leicester (with the U23s), it was a brilliant game by all of the boys, to be honest, I watched it back. It looked really good,” Klopp said.
“It’s clear they still need time to get full match fitness but it’s nice to have them back and now Joe first as an option. He played right full-back, we need him as this option as well.”
“We all know he played a wonderful season at the centre-half position until his injury, but he can play both and it’s good to have him.”
Meanwhile for FC Porto, forward Vincent Aboubakar is now back after six months on the sidelines. Defender Pepe is also back, having served his suspension.
Liverpool vs FC Porto UEFA Champions League FYIs
Kickoff- Wednesday Apr 17, Estádio do Dragão 8pm
Google Result Probability- Liverpool win 47%, Draw 27%, FC Porto win 26%
LFC starting XI prediction- go here to this link
Odds to qualify for the UCL semifinals: Liverpool 1/33, Porto 10/1
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net, which is partnered with News Now. Banks, a former writer for NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, regularly appears as a guest pundit on WGN CLTV and co-hosts the “Let’s Get Weird, Sports” podcast on SB Nation.
He also contributes sociopolitical essays to Chicago Now. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. The content of his cat’s Instagram account is unquestionably superior to his.