Liverpool avoided any scares as they safely booked their place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League with a goalless draw against Porto at Anfield this evening.
The Reds boasted a commanding 5-0 away first-leg lead heading into the match, and they barely broke sweat as they completed the job on Merseyside.
Sadio Mane - the hat-trick hero from the first leg - came closest to breaking the deadlock on the night when he struck the inside of the post shortly after the half-hour mark.
Find out how all of the action unfolded courtesy of Sports Mole's minute-by-minute coverage below.
Champions League nights are something extra special at this famous stadium, but the hosts should be in for a relatively scare-free evening tonight having done much of the hard work in the first leg, pulling off a remarkable 5-0 win at the Estadio do Dragao last month.
They still must complete the job tonight, though, so let's waste no time in checking out the team news from Merseyside...
Well, Jurgen Klopp said he might make "one, two or three" changes to his side, but he has actually brought in five new faces from the weekend win over Newcastle, although it is still a team which contains plenty of talent that would not look out of place if this was the first leg and the scoreline was still 0-0.
The most notable absentee of the night is Mohamed Salah, who is rested and left of the bench having scored 11 goals in his last 10 outings, 32 goals for the season and netted in each of his last seven appearances for the club. Adam Lallana replaces the Egyptian in the starting lineup tonight.
Mane's form throughout the campaign has been overshadowed by that of Firmino and Salah, but he is certainly back amongst the goals now, having scored five times in his last five appearances across all competitions - including a hat-trick at the Estadio do Dragao.
© Offside
Emre Can was unavailable for the trip to Portugal due to a suspension, but he is back tonight and once again starts for the Reds despite the ongoing uncertainty over his future. The way he is performing at the moment, Liverpool will be more and more desperate to keep him with each passing game.
The means returns to the starting lineup for Gomez, Lovren and Moreno, none of whom starting the weekend win over Newcastle or the first leg last month. Moreno, incidentally, is the only Liverpool player who is just one booking away from serving a ban.
Porto need goals tonight, of course, but they are without top scorer Moussa Marega - who has scored 20 goals in 24 league matches this season - due to a thigh injury. Tiquinho Soares is also absent due to injury, which is another significant blow for Porto considering her has scored seven goals in his last four league games.
Jesus Corona also made his return off the bench in this match and, like Aboubakar, is thrown straight into the starting lineup of an injury-hit Porto side tonight. He, along with Bruno Costa and Waris, will look to provide the support for Aboubakar.
Yacine Brahimi also features prominently on that list with six league assists, but he can only make the bench this evening as manager Sergio Conceicao makes nine changes from the first leg.
There is also a notable change in goal as the vastly-experienced Iker Casillas is back between the sticks, having been left out of the first leg.
Consistency has been an issue for Liverpool for some time now, but it is something they appear to have begun to stamp out of their game in recent months, and with it shown improved game management. Both of those will be important tonight if the hosts are to complete the job in a professional manner.
If Liverpool fans needed any more reason to be confident of their place in the quarter-finals - and I doubt they do - then the stats will help; The Reds have won all 32 of their UEFA competition ties in which they have won the away first leg, losing just four of the second legs in the process.
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More recently, Liverpool beat FC Haka of Finland in the third qualifying round of the 2001-02 Champions League, but that memorable display at the Estadio do Dragao is the first time they have ever won an away first leg by such a margin in European competition proper.
Liverpool have scored 18 goals in those six games too - an average of three per game - so they will be eager to continue that goalscoring momentum tonight ahead of a huge showdown with Manchester United at Old Trafford on Sunday - a match which could prove pivotal to who finishes second behind Man City this season.
Indeed, in terms of goals for and against, Liverpool's seven outings in the competition proper this season have yielded 34 goals - just under five per game - so they are certainly the team to watch if you want entertainment at the moment.
Indeed, Liverpool have been impressive here all season, losing just one of their 21 home games across all competitions. In European competition, meanwhile, the Reds have not been beaten here in their last 13 outings, stretching back to October 2014.
Liverpool are five-time winners of this competition - most recently and most famously in 2005 - but they have not graced Europe's elite for some time. Once they do get to this stage, though, they usually make it further, winning four of their past five round-of-16 ties. The one exception did come against Portuguese opposition though, losing to Benfica as holders in 2005-06.
Liverpool have found the back of the net 105 times in all competitions this season, which coincidentally is exactly the same number of goals Porto have scored in 2017-18 too. It is the first time since 1986-87 that Porto have reached triple figures.
On neither occasion were they able to keep a clean sheet, though, and if the visitors still possess any slim hope of pulling off a miracle tonight then that clean sheet could be every bit as important as their efforts at the other end of the field.
Both managers stressed that the first-leg result could have easily been different on a different day, but as it is Porto arrive on Merseyside with very minimal chances of rescuing a place in the quarter-finals. It is just pride to play for now.
Porto currently boast a five-point lead at the top of the standings having dropped only eight points during an unbeaten league campaign so far. Indeed, that defeat in the first leg if their only one from their last 29 matches inside normal time, and one of only three in 41 matches all season, all of which have come in the Champions League.
Porto have only won three of their last nine Champions League games, though, losing five in that run, which incidentally stretches back to a 5-0 win against English opposition - Leicester at home in last season's group stages.
Indeed, Porto have lost six of their previous nine Champions League last 16 ties, including three of their last four - a record which will increase to four of their last five barring something truly remarkable tonight.
Indeed, excluding penalty shootouts the Dragons are unbeaten in their last 12 away games and have only lost one of 19 all season, which is actually fewer defeats than they have suffered in front of their own fans.
Liverpool shouldn't have any problems this evening and, while Porto will be demanding a response to the first leg performance, the fact that they have made eight changes suggests that even they know this one is beyond them. Liverpool have stressed the importance of showing intensity and hunger in this game all week, so we're backing them to come away with another win, albeit not as emphatic as the first leg.
SPORTS MOLE SAYS: Liverpool 2-0 Porto
That includes an ongoing run of five successive away defeats to Premier League opposition - all without scoring - the most recent of which was a 1-0 loss at the hands of Leicester in last season's group stage.
By contrast, Liverpool have won six and lost just one of their previous nine home games against Portuguese clubs, with that solitary defeat coming against Benfica in 2005-06.
The most recent at Anfield saw Torres, Gerrard and Crouch all score late goals to held Liverpool to a 4-1 win in the 2007-08 group stages, having drawn 1-1 in Portugal. The two sides also met in the quarter-finals of the 2000-01 UEFA Cup, when goals from Danny Murphy and Michael Owen handed Liverpool a decisive 2-0 win here at Anfield.
LIVERPOOL STARTING XI: Karius; Gomez, Matip, Lovren, Moreno; Milner, Henderson, Can; Lallana, Firmino, Mane
PORTO STARTING XI: Casillas; Maxi Pereira, Felipe, Reyes, Diogo Dalot; Óliver, André André, Bruno Costa, Corona, Waris; Aboubakar
Liverpool controlled the majority of the possession and had the only two chances of the game, improving as the first half went on. All in all, though, it hasn't been a great watch so far.
The winger then unleashes a powerful low drive towards goal but, with Casillas beaten, Mane was unfortunate to see the ball come back off the inside of the post.
The delivery was just too high for Firmino, but Mane somehow got his foot to it and acrobatically turned it towards goal with the outside of his boot. However, his effort skimmed just over the crossbar with Casillas again beaten.
It has been more like a training match than a Champions League knockout tie, but Liverpool are keeping a lot in the tank for Manchester United on Saturday.
Ronaldo's goal for your pleasure: pic.twitter.com/045RPlDoGS
— Gary Lineker (@GaryLineker) March 6, 2018
"There is no better venue in European football than Anfield for appreciating excellence in visitors."
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) March 6, 2018
On what might be his last ever Champions League appearance, The Kop showed their respect for Iker Casillas 👏 pic.twitter.com/DTn8xnFelc
The night ends goalless, with Sadio Mane coming closest to changing that when he hit the post in the first half, but on aggregate Liverpool cruise through 5-0 and are the first English team in the hat for the last eight!
Thank you very much for joining Sports Mole for tonight's match as Liverpool ease through to the quarter-finals of the Champions League having done the hard work in the first leg against Porto. I will leave you with our match report, and be sure to stick around for reaction too. We will have live coverage of two more Champions League contests tomorrow night too, so visit us again for those!
From me, though, it is goodbye for now!
