Klopp ‘happy Liverpool star didn’t score’ in Porto rout; Curtis Jones praise

Roberto Firmino and Liverpool celebrate win over Porto

Jurgen Klopp was ‘happy’ that Diogo Jota failed to find the net at Porto for one very good reason, while Curtis Jones was showered with praise after the victory in Portugal.

The rampant Reds swept aside Porto in the Estadio do Dragao for the third-successive time as a 5-1 victory put them two points clear in their Champions League group.

Klopp’s side have scored 14 times in their last three visits and his deadly duo of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane have been responsible for nine of them.

It is a record of which former Liverpool striker Roger Hunt, whose death was announced earlier in the day, would have approved.

Salah scored twice and Mane once before Roberto Firmino, a late substitute, scored twice inside five minutes as the man he replaced – Diogo Jota – was the one to miss out against his former club.

Porto’s last defeat had been in April’s quarter-final to eventual champions Chelsea but there was no halting Liverpool’s impressive record in this stadium.

Speaking after the game, Klopp told BT Sport: “First and foremost the most important thing is the result. It is a massive one away at Porto. Winning, and the way we won, makes it better.

“It was good in lots of moments. We could see Porto watched our last game at Brentford. They started direct. I wanted to get it sorted on the pitch and that’s what we did step-by-step.

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“We scored maybe not the most amazing goals but important ones in the first half. In the second-half we controlled the game. Porto had massive problems. One centre-half out with a red card and the other, Pepe, not being able to play before the game. We could use that.

“We played wonderful football between the lines, we lost the ball in a situation we should not have. Defensively we played a super game. Goals happen so I am not too concerned.

“I am happy that Diogo Jota didn’t score, he keeps the goals for games we need them. We did not need his goals in the end tonight.

“It was a really good night for us. After the international break we play Atletico [Madrid] so we will see what the boys coming back are like. It is a good start.”


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Still work to do

Meanwhile, skipper Jordan Henderson refused to get too carried away with Liverpool’s position at the top of the table.

He told BT: “It’s definitely not job done as we have four games to play. We had two good performances, applied ourselves well and got results we deserved. It’s a good start but it is far from over.

“We’ll be disappointed to concede as I thought we were dominant throughout the game. We scored some brilliant goals and played good football so we have got to be pleased as it is a difficult place to come.”

Henderson also praised midfield partner Curtis Jones for his outstanding display in Portugal, adding: “Curtis has been fantastic. On paper he is so young but I feel like he has been around the first team for years.

“He’s settled and matured really well. He has had to be patient but has come in and done well. He has all the attributes to be a top player.”

READ MORE: Player ratings: Liverpool midfielder comes of age with stellar display