Reds run riot but City no pushovers

PORTO • Maybe it is something in the waters of the River Douro but whatever it is, every time Liverpool set foot in the old city of Porto, they cannot stop scoring.

The Reds were at it again on Tuesday as Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino both struck twice and Sadio Mane once in a 5-1 drubbing of the Portuguese champions to seize control of Group B in the Champions League.

Porto got a consolation goal through Mehdi Taremi.

"I really don't know the secret but maybe we should play our home games here," Egyptian striker Salah joked after the latest humbling of the two-time European champions.

In the 2019 quarter-final, Liverpool won 4-1 in the Estadio do Dragao, while the season before, they won a last-16 clash 5-0.

No wonder manager Jurgen Klopp looked delighted with his side's display, especially with a huge Premier League clash against champions Manchester City looming this Sunday.

"The most important thing in football is results and that's a massive one away at Porto," said Klopp, whose side top the group with six points, two ahead of Spanish champions Atletico Madrid, who beat AC Milan 2-1 at the San Siro.

"Winning in the way we won makes it even better. Performance-wise, it was good in a lot of moments. It was a really good night for us. We played wonderful football between the lines. It's a good start to the group."

Despite his praise for his team, the Liverpool boss also warned against complacency, and urged his players to deliver a "complex and complete" performance against City at Anfield if they are to have any chance of beating Pep Guardiola's men.

The Reds have scored 20 goals in six games this month, including their 5-1 win over Porto, but Klopp was reluctant to get carried away with his side's free-scoring form.

"We conceded as well some or a few. I don't think now it makes too much sense to think too much about how many goals we can score against them," he said.

"We need a complex and complete performance against them to have a chance."

Liverpool are top of the Premier league with 14 points, one more than City, and Klopp said he expected a tough test.

"We had to work hard in all the games we had, tonight, last Saturday (3-3 draw at Brentford)," he added.

"We have two days more (to rest), which for the City game will be helpful. So we will be fresh again and we will go, and that's it."

Porto were hindered by an injury to central defender and skipper Pepe in the warm-up and looked disjointed against a ruthless Liverpool attack that had 21 shots on goal, 15 more than the home side.

Liverpool are unbeaten against Porto in nine meetings in all competitions (W6 D3). Only against Scunthorpe United and Walsall have they played more without losing (11 each).

Porto were also not helped by a dreadful performance from goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who was culpable for three of the goals.

Manager Sergio Conceicao said his side's defending was not worthy of a Champions League match.

"The five goals we conceded are the kind you concede when you are in a relaxed training session and not when you're playing in the Champions League," he said.

"Too many mistakes in danger areas... everything was bad, but the responsibility is mine."

The victory was also of significance for Liverpool, who paid a fitting tribute to Roger Hunt by wearing black armbands after the former Reds striker died earlier in the day aged 83.

Hunt was part of England's 1966 World Cup-winning side and is Liverpool's record league goal scorer with 244 goals.

"Roger Hunt comes second to no one in his importance in the history of Liverpool FC, that much is clear," Klopp said.

REUTERS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE