Liverpool 4 - 1 FC Porto

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Wednesday Nov 28 2007 07:45

Liverpool kept their Champions League hopes alive with a 4-1 thrashing of FC Porto at Anfield, with Fernando Torres netting a double for Rafa Benitez's side.

The result means that a win in Marseille in a fortnight will almost certainly see the Reds progress to the knockout stages of the competition.

Under-pressure Reds boss Rafa Benitez opted to pair Torres and Andriy Voronin in attack, with Ryan Babel adding pace on the flank.

The early minutes saw few clear openings for either side, before Liverpool went ahead 19 minutes in as skipper Steven Gerrard swung a corner in from the right and Torres was given acres of space to head home from eight yards out.

However, the visitors silenced Anfield just past the half-hour mark when Przemyslaw Kazmierczak found space on the left and his cross picked out Lisandro Lopez to head home past a rooted Jose Reina.

Porto then dominated up until half-time, with Lopez going close to adding a second goal himself.

Liverpool struggled to pick up the pace after the restart and the game seemed to be heading for a draw that could have proved fatal for Benitez's side.

However, after Peter Crouch had come on, Torres broke clear of his marker to slot the ball beyond the advancing Helton to make the score 2-1 12 minutes from time.

With six minutes left it was game over as Milan Stepanov was adjudged to have handled in the area and Gerrard slotted home the resulting spot-kick in style.

Crouch put the final gloss on the scoreline three minutes from the end as he headed home another Gerrard corner from close range, with Helton left floundering.

  • 90
    Full-Time: LIVERPOOL 4-1 FC PORTO.
  • 90
    Quaresma goes into the referee's notebook.
  • 89
    The final scoreline is very hard on Porto, but they have fallen apart late on.
  • 87
    LIVERPOOL 4-1 FC PORTO, CROUCH heads a corner home from close range with Helton floundering.
  • 87
    It's plain sailing now for Liverpool and they will have a chance to progress by beating Marseille in a fortnight.
  • 85
    Babel trots off and Dirk Kuyt takes over for the Reds.
  • 84
    It's game over now, Liverpool have barely deserved this.
  • 84
    LIVERPOOL 3-1 FC PORTO, GERRARD sends Helton the wrong way from the spot.
  • 83
    Penalty to Liverpool for a handball by Stepanov, the Reds can wrap it up now.
  • 82
    Milan Stepanov is booked for barging into Crouch.
  • 81
    Assuncao is off and Helder Postiga enters the fray.
  • 80
    Babel gets in a shot and Helton gathers.
  • 79
    Spain striker Torres has rescued Liverpool there, he is top-class.
  • 78
    LIVERPOOL 2-1 FC PORTO, TORRES gets the Reds out of jail as he bets his marker and slots the ball past the advancing Helton.
  • 77
    Tarik Sektioui is introduced for Mariano Gonzalez.
  • 76
    Kewell sees a shot deflected away for a corner.
  • 75
    Fifteen minutes to go as Crouch crumples in the area looking for a penalty, he gets nothing.
  • 74
    The crowd finally find their voice to urge Liverpool on.
  • 72
    Marseille and Besiktas are currently locked at 1-1 in Turkey, meaning Liverpool are hanging by a thread.
  • 71
    Crouch takes the place of Benayoun, who has been one of the better performers for the Reds.
  • 69
    Mascherano fires the ball across goal and Helton gets a boot to it to clear the danger.
  • 68
    Benitez looks a bit rattled on the touchline, as Peter Crouch prepares to come on.
  • 66
    Gerrard fires over from 20 yards after finding space to get in a shot.
  • 65
    Porto bring on Raul Meireles for Kazmierczak.
  • 63
    Harry Kewell comes on for Voronin.
  • 62
    The home fans are starting to get a bit restless.
  • 59
    Almost an hour gone and it's still all to play for at Anfield.
  • 57
    Porto are just starting to find a bit of space to play in, could spell danger for Liverpool.
  • 55
    Torres feeds Benayoun, but he slices his shot well wide of target from 15 yards out.
  • 54
    Reina is out quickly to deny Lisandro Lopez a shooting chance after good work by Lucho Gonzalez.
  • 51
    A quiet start to the second half, with Liverpool again needing to find a higher gear to cause Porto problems.
  • 48
    Paulo Assuncao brings down Benayoun and is cautioned.
  • 48
    No changes by either side at the interval. A draw will suit the visitors the better.
  • 46
    Porto get the second half underway.
  • 45
    Half-Time: LIVERPOOL 1-1 FC PORTO.
  • 44
    Hyypia has to boot away a Quaresma ball in from the right after another good Porto attack.
  • 42
    Half-time's not far away and the visitors will be content with their efforts so far.
  • 40
    Gerrard blazes a long-range free-kick a couple of yards wide of target.
  • 40
    Porto have dominated since netting the equaliser.
  • 38
    Reina punches away a corner after Marek Cech's shot is deflected just over the top.
  • 37
    Sami Hyypia is booked for dragging down Lisandro Lopez.
  • 36
    Lisandro Lopez is clean through, but shoots narrowly wide of an upright as Reina comes off his line, what a let-off.
  • 36
    Quaresma gets away but is caught up by Alvaro Arbeloa and Steve Finnan completes the clearance.
  • 34
    A complete bolt from the blue and The Kop is shocked.
  • 33
    LIVERPOOL 1-1 FC PORTO, the Reds are caught cold as Przemyslaw Kazmierczak swings the ball in from the left and Lisandro LOPEZ heads home past a rooted Jose Reina.
  • 32
    Porto are all at sea at the back, but eventually get the ball clear with Benayoun poised to shoot.
  • 30
    Helton is out confidently to deal with another Gerrard corner from the right-hand side.
  • 27
    It still seems like a quiet evening at Anfield, the usual noise and passion seem to be absent.
  • 26
    Babel feeds Voronin, but his shot from 20 yards out is charged down.
  • 24
    Liverpool start to play the ball around nicely in midfield, the goal has clearly helped their cause.
  • 22
    That's lifted the crowd, who had been a little subdued.
  • 20
    Some woeful defending from the Portuguese cost them dearly from that set-piece.
  • 19
    LIVERPOOL 1-0 FC PORTO, Gerrard swings a corner in from the right and TORRES is given yards of space to head home from eight yards out.
  • 18
    Still little inspiration from the Reds, who need to manufacture a break somehow.
  • 15
    Quaresma tries a long-range shot and is clattered very, very late by Javier Mascherano, who escapes without even a free-kick.
  • 14
    Few chances for either side yet, but a couple of glimpses of pace and class from Torres.
  • 12
    Torres crosses the ball in from the right, but Voronin can only tamely head the cross goalwards and Helton catches with ease.
  • 11
    Ricardo Quaresma has time on the edge of the area, but drags his shot well wide of target.
  • 10
    Lisandro Lopez finds some space for Porto, but gives the ball away and Torres races clear before firing a shot straight at keeper Helton from 20 yards.
  • 7
    A quiet opening to the game so far, Liverpool need to up the pace to get on top.
  • 5
    Yossi Benayoun tricks his way past a couple of defenders on the right, but his shot after cutting into the area is blocked.
  • 4
    Liverpool seem happy to allow Porto to have the ball at the back, applying little pressure.
  • 2
    Porto enjoy a good passage of possession as they look to take the sting out of the game early on.
  • 1
    An early Steven Gerrard corner is cleared away from danger.
  • 1
    The Reds get the game underway.
  • 0
    Under-pressure Rafa Benitez pairs Fernando Torres and Andriy Voronin in attack, with Ryan Babel adding pace on the flank.
  • 0
    Liverpool host FC Porto in the Champions League knowing that they need a victory to get back on track for a place in the knockout stages.

Statistics

Liverpool
Shots on target 11
Shots off target 6
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 13
Offsides 2
Corners 10

FC Porto
Shots on target 2
Shots off target 9
Shots off bar/post 0
Fouls 10
Offsides 5
Corners 3

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