Liverpool will travel to the Estádio do Dragão to clash heads with FC Porto on Wednesday night after securing a well-deserved 2-0 win over them in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarterfinal tie last week. The Reds will come into this encounter on the back of a dominant 2-0 victory against Chelsea on Sunday so we can expect another strong showing from the Merseyside outfit in midweek.
Jurgen Klopp will opt for a 4-3-3 formation and might bring Dejan Lovren back into his starting XI for this European clash away in Portugal.
4-3-3 Liverpool Predicted Lineup To Face FC Porto
Defence
Alisson Becker will retain his place in goal for the visitors after keeping a hard-fought clean sheet at the back against the Pensioners last weekend. The Brazilian goalie will be confident about his chances of securing another shutout away at Portugal as long as his teammates give him enough protection during the contest.
The dominant centre-back duo of Virgil Van Dijk and Dejan Lovren will likely feature at the centre of Klopp’s backline. Lovren got a rare start in the first-leg win over FC Porto last week so he might get another chance to impress as Klopp looks to keep Joel Matip fresh for the Cardiff City game at the weekend.
Trent Alexander-Arnold will look to deliver some telling crosses while operating as a right-back. Andrew Robertson will work his socks off on the other side as he tries to link up with Sadio Mane and Naby Keita down the left flank. The Scottish defender was suspended for the first leg against Porto so he would be desperate to help his team get a win at Estádio do Dragão on Wednesday night.
Midfield
Klopp might choose to go with the same midfield three that started against Maurizio Sarri’s team at the weekend. So the trio of Naby Keita, Fabinho and Jordan Henderson will once again look to put in a dominant performance at the centre of the park as they try to dictate play and create chances for the front players.
Both Georginio Wijnaldum and James Milner may have to settle for a place on the Liverpool bench and could come on during the encounter if required.
Attack
Roberto Firmino will begin the contest as a centre-forward but will often drop into spaces in midfield to create chances for his teammates. Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah will support the Brazilian striker as the dynamic duo look to cause problems for the Porto defenders down the wide areas.
Both Mane and Salah scored against Chelsea, so they will be confident about doing the same on Wednesday night.
