LFC Forever 2017/18

Porto 0-5 Liverpool

Sorry I've only just written this now, three days later but every time I thought about it, it was like I really don't wanna try focusing on writing, I didn't get rid of my sore throat overnight, now it's a cough and I didn't go to the interview cos I couldn't really talk. If I'd have gone I wouldn't have been able to do it until at least yesterday either which I'm glad Klopp and Henderson appreciated everyone trying to get back. The good thing is this delay has given me time to see a lot of social media/ news articles.

As I said in the feed message after the match I can't believe how well that went, 5-0, cue half Liverpool are gonna win it!!! half it's only Porto, it's not Real Madrid! Which is a very valid argument although it came from Roy Keane who Liverpool Echo put together 6 times he's put Liverpool down literally after every European win/ the Sevilla draw and seeing them all together like that he is such a Man United person throwing his toys out the pram cos he knows we've got something good going.

The U23s lost 1-0 to West Ham earlier today, I told them not to break up the side! The Ladies play in the FA cup 5th round tomorrow, when I showed my dad that I was so smug about the fact that the ladies were in but the men were not and I don't even know why.

The lads are in Marbella. Daniel Agger went for a catch up. I don't like hot weather at all but I wish I was there, escape the English weather and obviously see my football team.

Yesterday I dreamed I met Milner, and I think Solanke, Alex OC and Danny Ings, at the train/ bus station in Leeds (I'd cancelled the interview like irl but decided to do the journey anyway for no reason), they were still in their full orange kit. I recognized the side of Milner's stoney face and walked so I could see the front and saw the 4 of them, I asked if he was Milner, he said yes and I didn't know what else to say so I awkwardly thanked them for Porto and everything and left.

Have you seen that massive painting someone's done of 106 players, managers and back staff? It's so cool but then when we saw the close ups we ended up critisising. The ones like Shankly where there's a lot of detail like forehead wrinkles are really good but then there's Carragher who's big blank forehead looks odd. 

On with the match

MotM- Sadio Mane

(First European hat trick since 2002, double points for taking it from Micheal Owen, triple points joining in Firmino's twist kick thing)

I thought Porto (the city) was going to be bright and sunny, the weather was more miserable than here, fog and rain. I thought Porto (the football team) was going to give us a challenge, I thought wrong. They're top of their league, they got through their CL group, we're invited over and they don't even try.

So we're in orange again because red clashes with blue to the eyes of the colourblind people who run UEFA, maybe they're looking out for us because look at the results it's been a part of.

Both sides started pretty tentatively. Porto were getting the set pieces but we were dealing with it. This let everything settle, let Porto think they're getting ahead and then go for it tactic was a strange one. It was boring alright. It was boring football that served it's purpose once we found our moments to counter attack.

Good work from Wijnaldum driving into the box led to Mane' shot that went right through keeper. It looked more of a cross that the keeper intercepted than a shot to me. The goalie shouldn't have let that one in. Mane got lucky, he won't care, we don't care. he's back scoring. We have our away goal and we have our first r of 16 goal in 9 years!

Once one goes in, they're all going in. Salah joins in minutes later. Milner went for a blistering strike that hit the post. Our Egyptian King is there to make sure it doesn't go to waste. Milner's would've been a pretty good goal but Salah's, well number 30's got to be special hasn't it?

Took a right foot touch. The ball bounced up invitingly in the six-yard box. He then nonchalantly flicked it out of reach of the despairing Porto keeper. Another touch with his head. He finished it making light of the Porto defender's last-ditch lunge as he calmly stuck it in the unguarded corner. What a goal to watch slowed down.

Milner had a great slide tackle to stop Brahimi the chance to get at the Liverpool back four. I love those even though I always worry it'll go wrong.

Can not believe we went in at half time 2 up and the best effort I remember from Porto went just over the bar which I thought that had gone in for a second because I was trying to get the laptop to accept the bloody charger was there so couldn't see the full screen.

Ten minutes into the second half Mane's back at it. A lightning break from Liverpool, including a backheel from Firmino to release Salah led to it. Firmino's shot was saved but Mane sent it home.

It can't get better than three can it? I started looking through people being excited on twitter on my phone almost more than watching because I couldn't believe how much we had this game and we were now 3 up. That's strange I know saying we're so good I don't wanna watch but there was kind of a tinge of there must be a downfall coming, there has to be, even when it was almost the end I was thinking Bournemouth v Karius and getting nervous.

Brahimi going off and Waris coming on. Alexander-Arnold put Brahimi to bed pretty early on, brilliant.

Milner slides one across for Firmino to pass it home. That's eight for him in the Champions League this season - one goal at least against every opponent faced. How can it be four?!

Firmino did a jump, spin and kick/ twirl, thing in celebration. Mane half copied. I've seen people laughing about it but I was really proud of him after he insisted he's too shy to dance or anything like that. 

We swapped Henderson for Matip and then Trent Alexander-Arnold and Roberto Firmino forGomez and Ings. I was mad like when are Salah and Mane ever getting to rest but happy to see Gomez back.

Ings was on for a reason, Mane remained for a reason. Ings laid the ball off to Mane and he struck from the edge of the box. He's come back to scoring with a hat trick and made it 5 away goals. First European hat-trick away from home for Liverpool since Michael Owen in 2002. He couldn't help it, Carra dared him to.

That's it. Porto's heaviest ever defeat in Europe at home. Happy Valentine's day! Can we play in orange all the time? It makes us (citrus) bold.

Robertson ha to go running after the ball boy so Mane could have the well deserved match ball at the end.

We must like making sure teams aren't invincibles (I think I read they already lost once in the league and once in the CL so they already weren't) we're top of the league beaters, that works.

There's the second leg to go but with 5 away goals you'd think our place in the next round is secure.

Next up, West Ham, at home, Saturday 24th February 2018. 15:00

Back down to earth, back in the cold, back to the Premier League and back at home.