What: Champions League Group A
Who: Porto (1st PLiga, 12/12pts) v Liverpool (3rd EPL, 11/15pts)
When: Tuesday, 18 September, Kick-off: 19:45 local (BST)
Where: Estadio do Dragao, Porto
Fortress Dragao
FC Porto are an intriguing proposition in the Champions League. Having only won Europe’s premier trophy twice, the first in 1986/87 when it was known as the ‘European Cup’ and the second, their still-memorable unlikely victory of the 2003/04 Champions League, they are not exactly exalted as a top European team of pedigree with a rich history.
However, they are still widely regarded as a dangerous opposition for they have always been great exponents of a style of traditional European football that wins games.
Whenever a team is drawn against Porto they know they are coming against a confident, committed team able to pass a ball until it is snuggly settled into the corner of your net. And this season’s Porto out-fit are no different.
Under the keen stewardship of Manuel Jesualdo Ferreira, Porto will go into their tough tie against Liverpool tomorrow with an impressive touch of form after four league wins out of four. The manner of their victories has also given their fans much to laud over, which hasn’t always been the case, especially under the current coach.
Nonetheless Liverpool presents a tougher task than any of their league opposition to date, but as defender Joao Paulo informed the media, it shall simply mean that the players will 'up their game' for what he believes will be a “major battle”.
Worryingly for Liverpool, FC Porto have somewhat chiseled a fortress out of their home ground. Since building work finished on their brand spanking new stadium in 2003, the Estadio do Dragao has become a daunting destination for Europe’s elite.
Starting with Jose Mourinho at the helm and running to the current coach, FC Porto have remained unbeaten against Europe’s elite teams when playing at home with notable names such as Chelsea, Lyon, Manchester United, Lazio and Inter Milan having already passed through the Dragao doors and left empty-handed. But then again the last team to beat Porto at the Dragao was tiny Artmedia Bratislava, so perhaps Rafa Benitez will be showing tapes of that game to inspire his players.
Nobody Likes Them, They Don’t Care
Liverpool FC’s successful history in Europe competitions is well-known and its impact far-reaching. Although their victorious jaunts in the 60’s, 70’s and 80’s are repeatedly, and rightly, eulogized from most corners, the expectations this tradition mounts on subsequent players and managers can be mountainous.
Thankfully for the current crop of Kopites Rafa Benitez has broad shoulders and has, in his 3 year stint, reserved a space in the Red’s glorious Hall of Fame, with only a Premiership League trophy needed to cement that spot.
Having been Champions League finalists twice in three years (after years left in the dark), with only Portuguese giants Benfica (rather ominously) interrupting the run, Liverpool are renewed European thoroughbreds and thus are probably the most undesired opponents for any team in the tournament.
Many coaches and mangers around Europe have already frowned at the prospect of facing Liverpool in what is increasingly becoming, somewhat unfairly, a seemingly EU-wide held view that although Liverpool are European vintage, the current rigidly-built team leaves a bitter taste in the mouth.
Not that Rafa or the Kop will care , for now with a defence that is resolute and unforgiving, bolstered with an action-packed midfield and expensively assembled front-line, the Reds will be one of the main favorites for the competition winner and therefore not ideal opponents for Porto’s opening European game this season.
Probably The Best Football Tournament In The World
Upon being asked one of the easiest questions he’ll most likely ever face, Sir Alex Ferguson, facing a packed media room, replied with an enormous smile and a very Scottish, “Oh Aye!”.
The question put to Ferguson was an attempt to gauge his level of excitement over this season’s Champions League beginning for proper in only a few days, to which the Manchester United boss further offered the view that the Champions League was probably the best football tournament in the world, even bigger than the World Cup.
Ferguson may have uttered football blasphemy but it is decidedly hard to disagree with his thoughts (even for a fervent World Cup advocate like myself) when one absorbs the huge prestige, spiraling money and vast viewer-ship the Champions League attracts.
Considering last season’s beaten finalists, Liverpool FC, are involved in this season’s tournament opening night against Porto, and the fact that they are also sponsored by the company to whom “Probably The Best…” is its rather ambitious tag-line, it seems apt that we should launch the 2007-2008 Champions League from a similarly skewered angle, although admittedly, one that is balanced only by a global display of gluttonous child-like bliss come this time in the football calendar.
So…with tissues at the ready to wipe away the pre-match anticipation induced foaming of the mouth, or the post-match tears in the middle of a “we’ll never win it!” rage (whichever you prefer) – lets all rub our hands together in glee as one mass of football-fanatics as the curtain is raised on the best football tournament in the world! (probably).
FORM GUIDE
Porto
15 Sept v Maritimo (H) WON 1-0 (Liga Bwin)
02 Sept v Uniao Leiria (A) WON 0-3 (Liga Bwin)
26 Aug v Sporting Lisbon (H) WON 1-0 (Liga Bwin)
18 Aug v Sporting Braga (A) WON 1-2 (Liga Bwin)
11 Aug v Sporting Lisbon (H) LOST 0-1 (Liga Super Cup)
Liverpool15 Sept v Portsmouth (A) DREW 0-0 (Prem)
01 Sept v Derby (H) WON 6-0 (Prem)
28 Aug v Toulouse (H) WON 4-0 (CL Qualifying)
25 Aug v Sunderland (A) WON 0-2 (Prem)
19 Aug v Chelsea (H) DREW 1-1 (Prem)
TEAM NEWS
Porto
Thankfully for coach Ferreria he doesn’t have to contend with too many injury worries, although the couple of significant ones he will have to remedy might prove costly. At present first-choice goalkeeper Helton has still not recovered from a knee injury meaning Nuno Santo will start his third consecutive game.
There is scope to suggest that goalkeeping mainstay Helton may make a miraculous recovery, but if not Santo will have to face the most formidable forward line of his career. At the other end striker Adriano is a major doubt with a thigh strain, but in his absence Porto should still have enough creativity and firepower to trouble Liverpool.
Last Starting XI: Nuno Santo, Bosingwa, Joao Paulo, Bruno Alves, Cech, Lucho, Assuncao, Raul Meirless, Tarik, Lisandro, Quaresma
Liverpool
Rotation, rotation, rotation is at the heart of Mr. Benitez’s manifesto, and like it or not come 19:45 Tuesday it shall be no different. Andriy Voronin and Peter Crouch started up-front against Portsmouth last weekend so, following the trend that should mean Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt will start in Porto.
Otherwise Benitez only has three injury absentee’s with John Arne Riise still not sufficiently recovered from a groin strain picked up playing for Norway recently, whilst Momo Sissoko and long-term sidelined Harry Kewell join him on the list of players not making the trip.
On the plus side though Fabio Aurelio makes his return to the squad after long-standing ligament damage, although the Brazilian will probably make the bench rather a stating position. After a round of international games, clearly loathed by Benitez, a host of players might now be deemed fit enough to start, meaning Steven Gerrard will be expected to start in his favoured central-midfield berth.
Last Starting XI: Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Agger, Arebola, Pennant, Sissoko, Alonso, Benayoun, Voronin, Crouch
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Porto – Ricardo Quaresma
Even though the high-profile departures of Pepe to Real Madrid and Anderson to Manchester United bought much fortune to Porto, the best bit of business they have completed this summer is hanging on to their star winger. With so many attacking players leaving in another record-breaking period of summer transfers, the one bewildering element remains the lack of interest in Quaresma.
Many teams had made tentative gestures for the tricky attacker, yet none, to the public’s knowledge, made any serious offers. Nonetheless Porto fans are ecstatic that a player they believe to be better than Figo, Cristanio Ronaldo, Simao and Nani has stayed to showcase his abundance of skills at Porto for at least one more season.
Quaresma is usually deployed from either flank and is hugely effective whenever he plays. With pace, movement, dribbling speed, creative mind and an eye for goal, this wing-forward is a sublime footballing machine. Often temperamental but always a threat, he is so good that Marcelo Lippi was recently quoted as saying that if he ever made a return to club football he would be the first signing he would insist on.
Liverpool – Fernando Torres
More than his already impressive start to the league campaign, the lackluster performance from Voronin and Crouch this weekend highlighted the vital ingredients Torres brings to the forward line as well as Liverpool’s style of play as a whole. Able to trouble defenders with his back to goal equally as well as when he is played in behind, Torres has all the raw elements of a great striker, even if some question his natural goal-scoring instincts.
Against an average Porto defence that has not been sufficiently strengthened since the departure of Pepe, Torres will be backed to shine, especially when one considers this is his first Champions League game ever, and the sounds coming from Liverpool suggest he is like a caged animal ready to explode. Porto watch out!.
PREDICTION
This game is a genuine hard one to call, for even many leading pundits are divided in their predications. Even so I believe that Liverpool will prevail, albeit narrowly, over Porto. Considering Porto are extremely hard to beat at home coupled with Liverpool’s notorious stubbornness, there are few who feel that many goals will be scored, although that is not to say it won’t be exciting.
With Quaresma on the pitch, possibly showcasing himself to potential suitors (one of which might be Rafa himself), and Torres’s inaugural European adventure there is much to be excited about, but in the end Liverpool will have too much quality in their squad and will probably secure a late winning result. FC Porto 1-2 Liverpool
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