Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur have taken a huge step towards the semifinals of the Champions League as they secure victories over Porto and Manchester City respectively in the first leg.
First-half goals from Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino gave Liverpool a solid advantage in the quarter-final first leg with Porto on Wednesday and Juergen Klopp’s side will feel confident going into next week’s return.
By contrast, everything will be open at Manchester, when Spurs defend Son Heung Min’s late winner. City, trying to avoid a third consecutive last-eight exit, will rue Sergio Aguero’s early penalty miss.
Beaten finalists in 2018, five-time champions Liverpool were immediately on top against two-time Portuguese winners Porto.
They needed only five minutes at Anfield, before Keita opened the scoring from the edge of the box, with a deflected shot flying past Iker Casillas.
A second goal followed in the 26th minute, when Trent Alexander-Arnold hit the byline and Firmino slotted home.
Porto’s Moussa Marega, chasing a goal in a seventh consecutive Champions League games, had a trio of half-chances easily saved by Alisson.
Firmino blazed off target when a third looked certain before the break, but despite Liverpool continuing to press, it never did arrive.
Liverpool top the Premier League table by two points from second-placed City, who are chasing an English-record haul of four trophies in a season.
That was placed in jeopardy by Son’s 78th minute winner, turning back from the byline and drilling a close-range shot through keeper Ederson.
Pep Guardiola’s men had been gifted an early chance when Danny Rose, after a video review, was penalised for handling Raheem Sterling’s shot. Aguero stepped up, but his poor penalty was saved by Hugo Lloris.
Spurs talisman Harry Kane’s game ended prematurely, when he appeared to go over his ankle, blocking a clearance from Fabian Delph.
City laboured, but at least return home with a better result than a year ago, when a three-goal first-half blitz by Liverpool at Anfield effectively eliminated them.
