Source BBC.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says he will only make two or three changes to his side despite their 5-0 first-leg win against Porto.
Klopp’s side have all but qualified for the quarter-finals but he says he will name a strong team – though he may rest top scorer Mohamed Salah.
Emre Can is available after missing the first leg through suspension.
Porto would make history if they did go through – as no team has ever come from five goals down to progress.
It is a year this week since Barcelona became the first team to overturn a 4-0 first-leg deficit as they knocked out Paris St-Germain with a famous 6-1 win.
“We respect Porto too much and the competition too much to think about real rotation,” Klopp said.
“We will prepare ourselves for the game and we want to win the second half of the tie.
“If it is a different line-up to Saturday, it is only because we want to win. Maybe one, two, three changes but only to win the game.”
Liverpool last reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2009.
Porto, who have lost only once away all season, have defender Felipe back from suspension.
Match stats
- Liverpool are unbeaten against Porto, having played them five times in all competitions (W3 D2).
- Their only previous encounter in the knockout stages of a European competition was in 2000-01 in the Uefa Cup quarter-finals. Liverpool won 2-0 on aggregate and went on to lift the trophy later that season.
- Liverpool were one of three unbeaten teams in this season’s Champions League group stages, alongside Barcelona and Tottenham.
- They have never lost by more than two clear goals at Anfield in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
- Liverpool have scored more goals than any other team in this season’s Champions League (28), including 25 in the past five games. Only Bayern Munich (277) have made more touches inside the opposition box than Klopp’s team (271).
- Porto have lost their past four Champions League knockout games (one goal scored, 14 conceded).
- Liverpool’s 5-0 victory over Porto in the first leg was the biggest away win by an English side in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
- Porto have reached the knockout stages of the Champions League in consecutive seasons for the first time since 2009-10
- The Portuguese team have never won a Champions League away game against an English side, drawing two and losing 10 of their 12 trips.
- James Milner has delivered six assists in this season’s Champions League, more than any other player. He’s only the third player to reach that total in a Champions League campaign over the past five seasons after Neymar (eight in 2016-17) and Ousmane Dembele (six in 2016-17).
- Sadio Mane has scored six goals in his past three Champions League games, including a hat-trick in the first leg against Porto.
