Liverpool take on Porto in the last 16 of the Champions League tonight, kicking off their first-leg clash at 7.45pm (GMT). Here are the key stats facts.
Reds’ Poor Portugal Form
In Portugal, the Reds have won only two of 10 visits and have not won any of the last seven.
The two victories came at Benfica in 1978 and 1984 in quarter-finals, both times the Reds going on to win the European Cup.
They last met Portuguese opposition in the Europa League‘s Round of 16 in 2010/11 losing 1-0 at Sporting Braga before a goalless draw at Anfield.
In those 10 visits to Portugal they have kept one clean sheet—on this ground in 2001.
Three times Liverpool been eliminated by teams from Portugal: Setubal beat them on away goals in the Fairs Cup in 1969/70, Benfica won home and away in the last 16 of this competition in 2005/06 and Sporting Braga in the Europa League in 2010/11.
Previous With Porto
The teams have been drawn against each other twice before in European competition.
In 2000/01 they drew 0-0 in Portugal in the UEFA Cup Quarter Final before Liverpool won 2-0 at Anfield in the return with first half goals from Danny Murphy and Michael Owen. Liverpool went on to lift the trophy.
Seven seasons later the clash at the Estadio do Dragao finished 1-1 in the Champions League group stage with both goals coming in the opening 17 minutes with Dirk Kuyt cancelling out the opener from Lucho Gonzalez.
In the return the Reds won 4-1 at Anfield thanks to Fernando Torres (two), a Steven Gerrard penalty and a goal from substitute Peter Crouch.
Goals Galore
The Reds qualified for the knockout stage by topping their group—scoring 23 goals in their six games—a record for an English club and a total surpassed only by Paris St Germain (25), also this season.
Of those 23 group stage goals 19 came from Mo Salah, Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino with the latter scoring six times—the most by a Liverpool player in a single group stage campaign.
In total, the Reds have found the net 29 times in Europe this season. Their record for the competition is 34—scored in 2007/08—from 14 games.
English Advantage?
Porto have been drawn against English opposition on 18 occasions.
At home they have won eight with seven draws and three defeats—five of the draws have been goalless.
The defeats coming at the hands of Manchester United (2009), Chelsea the following season (both in the Champions League) and to Manchester City in the Europa League in 2011/12.
When they lost to City, James Milner came off the bench at the Etihad in his side’s 4-0 second leg win.
Salah on For 30
Mo Salah played on this ground last season in a Champions League play-off game. That night the score was 1-1 with Porto winning in Rome to reach the group stage.
The Egyptian is one goal away from becoming only the 13th different Reds player to score 30 goals in a season.
This Season’s Scorers
Porto: Aboubakar (26), Marega (17), Brahimi (8), Tiquinho (6), Danilo Pereira (4), Marcano (4), Felipe (3), Herrera (3), Reyes (3), Andre Andre (2), Jesus Corona (2), Layun (2), Ricardo Pereira (2), Sergio Oliveira (2), Alex Telles (1), Galeno (1), Hernani (1), Maxi Pereira (1), Otavio (1), own goals (1)
Liverpool: Salah (29), Firmino (20), Coutinho (12), Mane (9), Can (5), Oxlade-Chamberlain (4), Alexander-Arnold (3), Sturridge (3), Henderson (1), Klavan (1), Lovren (1), Matip (1), Milner (1), van Dijk (1), Wijnaldum (1), own goals (2)
* Stats courtesy of LFC statistician Ged Rea.
