Klopp expects tough clash in Porto

CAIRO – 14 February2018: Liverpool travelled to Portugal on Tuesday to face Portuguese giants Porto on Wednesday night in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League round of 16, and Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp expects a tough clash against the Portuguese team.

“They are very experienced. They’re very aggressive, very physical, and it will be a heated atmosphere as well, so there’s a lot we have to deal with,” Klopp told press ahead of the game.

Liverpool has won five Champions League titles before and is playing in the Champions League knockout stage after nine years of absence.

Their last participation in the knockout stages was in 2009, when they got eliminated by Chelsea in the quarter-finals.
Klopp spoke about the importance of playing in this stage, saying, “As a team, you grow with all games you play, difficult circumstances, strong opponents, showing good reactions after unlucky or deserved defeats; it all helps you grow.”

Klopp’s best achievement in the Champions League was reaching the final in 2013 as coach of Borussia Dortmund, losing the final to Bayern Munich 2-1.

Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah could be the 13th player in the club’s history to score 30 goals in only one season if he scores a goal against Porto.