IT’S a magnificent Liverpool victory. An historic one and one which signposts exactly where Liverpool stand in Europe’s current reckoning.
Imagine this was Barcelona or Real Madrid or Bayern Munich going to somewhere like Porto and doing this. Imagine taking notice. Imagine saying things like “we never do anything like that“.
There is an obligatory paragraph that these discussions need to contain. It goes something like this: “Well the opposition were no great shakes and they made it easy for Liverpool and, and, and…”
The fact of the matter is that Liverpool proved themselves a class above not for the first time this season in Europe. They are capable of a change of pace few sides can live with, a change of pace they have shouted from the rooftops across the continent this evening.
The fact of the matter is that Porto are a side used to winning, used to scoring and they could barely land a glove on Liverpool. The Reds didn’t so much cruise in defence as just evoke an endless calm; an early Dejan Lovren block aside. That calm eminates from Virgil van Dijk. The best thing about Liverpool’s defending tonight was how unhurried it was. Liverpool inflicted Porto’s heaviest ever defeat at home in Europe. They made them irrelevant in their own ground.
The fact of the matter is that when it is Barcelona or Real Madrid or Bayern Munich doing this sort of business we step back to marvel instead of caveat. We talk instead about the brilliance of those lads cutting in off the flanks or the touch of the centre forwards. We may remark on the brilliance of Andres Iniesta or Luka Modric or Thiago Alcantara.
The fact of the matter is that tonight The Reds were mustard. Colmans, Dijon or American. Pick your flavour.
The opening goal was a strange combination of crucial, inevitable and cheap. Liverpool had just upped the pace and suddenly Porto looked like everything was a surprise. Gini Wijnaldum, whose first half set the tone, ought to have been played in for a simple finish seconds earlier but showed perserverence and presence of mind to play in Sadio Mane. His finish would have frustrated had the ‘keeper kept it out. Raffles and raffle tickets spring to mind.
The second is outrageous from James Milner in the ease of winning it and the strike, and whatever outrageous is times 100 from Mo Salah. The same calm presence at the back clear in the six-yard-box. The look at the linesman perhaps suggests why.
From there it was a stroll. Mane finishing a fabulous move with a tap in from a rebound, Roberto Firmino doing the decent thing from more Milner brilliance and then Mane rifling home to get the 60th goal from Liverpool’s front three before the clocks go forward. It’s something frankly ridiculous and something beyond the wildest. That that tally doesn’t include the unmentionable in Barcelona further emphasises what this side is:
The most dangerous.
The most exciting.
The most.
There is more football in this Liverpool side than in the vast majority of European teams. That’s what the reckoning shakes down on nights like tonight. These lads are almost certainly better than your lads and they have made clear tonight even if that wasn’t clear before that they can demonstrate that right through until May. They’ll need a bit of luck and a fair wind, but so will Barcelona or Real Madrid or Bayern Munich or any characters from Manchester.
The quarter finals beckon. And then?
Liverpool will rightly tell you they take every game as it comes, they focus on the next challenge and the next challenge only and that they take nothing for granted.
Good on them. That’s their job. Ours?
We go to bed dreaming. Of an 80-goal haul from three forwards, of lads in orange swarming through the pitch, of unselfish layoffs and certain finishes, and kung-fu kicks.
Of being on the march across Europe. Of Liverpool being the team that we adore.
Of being alive.
Of it being a joy.
Of going all the way.
There is so, so, so much still to be done but that should never stop the dreaming, certainly when Liverpool Football Club decide to offer such cause.
Onwards.
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Imagine this was Barcelona or Real Madrid or Bayern Munich going to somewhere like Porto and doing this. Imagine taking notice. Imagine saying things like “we never do anything like that“.
There is an obligatory paragraph that these discussions need to contain. It goes something like this: “Well the opposition were no great shakes and they made it easy for Liverpool and, and, and…”
………………so true
Probably the most complete and assured away performance by the Reds in a very long time.
Watched the game in Budapest and was sitting through the h-t analysis in Hungarian. They showed one of the pundits Salah’s seal dribble and finish and he could only respond, “Pfff”.
Good to know the Hungarian dictionary has also run out of words to describe Mo’s mastery.
Also, the bloke with me in the bar, after Robbo whipped in another cross said, “The Scotland man is nice.”
Is fucking right, Gabor.
Dijon or American my arse. That was fucking Wasabi!
Up the mighty Reds!
This game got me thinking of the our last effort at champion leagueing. Klopp lost a major player a month ago but you wouldnt know it today, just a few weeks later. Here’s what we’ve got. Not what we’ve lost. I’m not sure if Porto were bad cause i dont really remeber them. I see the chances we took and those we didn’t. How ridiculous it was and how crazy it could have been. I’m not a dreamer by nature but Jurgen showed last year how he navigates knockout competitions. There is no doubt that these lads can match and outplay anyone on their day. Its just a question of how many of those days they can give us.
How good do we look breaking away at pace in that orange kit? Mane looks awesome in it.
Great thing about tonight is we can rotate before the Mancs away. Let’s hope Sevilla make a game of it tomorrow.
We are a vicious football team. We mince sides – top sides – on their own grounds like it’s nothing.
0-5 at Porto? Make no mistake, if it was Spurs who had done this we would be hearing about it for the next 25 years. Porto are a strong, highly respected side with a proud home record. Our lads have gone there and just had a laugh. So pleased for Mane. He deserved it. He was really good Sunday and you could feel it coming back. Some people had forgotten what an elite footballer he is because of the otherworldly impact of Salah, but this is a reminder to anyone who needed it.
Up the road warrior Reds!
Great write up. Lovely stuff!
Porto thoroughly Manehandled!!
No room for whole grain in your mustard analogy?
Neil, I cried at the end of that. “You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one”.
Made Porto look like Sheff Weds. (No offence, Owls fans!)
And the Flying V for that third? The Mighty Ducks reborn!
Away from the brilliance, a side issue. Why the orange kit? Could have played in red, obviously. Has the orange kit come to be considered lucky? Am I right in thinking we’ve won every single game we’ve played in it this season?
Won every game apart the arsenal 3-3..hope we wear it in kiev!!
Arsenal, of course! Forgot that one.
I’m getting ahead of myself here, but if they did get to Kiev and wore the orange, I’m pretty sure it would be the first time we’ve worn anything other than home red in a European final.
Could be to make Virgil and Gini feel at home…
is it a UEFA rule you wear your away kit for all away games? I cant recall if we have worn red away from home in Europe recently.
dont think so mate we wore the home kit against sevilla away.
Couldn’t watch the game because I’m a right proper husband on V Day. So I did the only sensible thing and got out of bed at 4 in the morning because I couldn’t sleep with anticipation and watched it before work, all the while jumping up and doing mad dances in total silence while the missus and the lad slept peacefully.
The Salah goal brought back the image of Sturridge doing keepy uppies before slamming the ball home in 13/14. We’re back to that level of madness, that routine madness where anything is possible. Bless Bobby for his kung-fu action. It took me a while to warm to him, but I absolutely love the madcap celebrations that punctuate long stretches of quiet industriousness.
Ah, who am I kidding? I love ’em all, them Reds.