The Merseysiders go into their Champions League last-16 second leg with a sizeable 5-0 advantage…
Liverpool are odds-on to reach the quarter-finals of the Champions League for a first time since 2008/09 but how ambitious will they be?
The Reds welcome FC Porto to Anfield on Tuesday with a commanding 5-0 first leg lead and many observers are expecting another easy night’s work.
With the possibility of wholesale changes dismissed by manager Jürgen Klopp at his pre-match press conference, despite the small matter of a Premier League fixture with fierce rivals Manchester United on Saturday, hope of another big victory is high.
Even if it were to happen though, the Merseysiders, who have scored 25 goals in their past five matches in the competition, will have to go some to eclipse the current biggest aggregate winning margin in the Champions League knockout stages of 12-1, set by Bayern Munich against Sporting Lisbon in 2008/09.
On that occasion, the Bavarians, like Liverpool, also won the away leg of their last-16 tie 5-0 in Portugal before crushing their opponents 7-1 in the second leg at the Allianz Arena.
Munich, along with Barcelona, also jointly hold the second biggest aggregate knockout victory, since the inception of the Champions League in 1992 at least, courtesy of their 10-2 success over Arsenal 12 months ago.
Although such outcomes seem a long shot, Klopp’s men are no strangers to setting records this term with a series of scintillating performances in the competition under their belt.
The victory at the Estadio do Dragão three weeks ago was the biggest away win ever in the knockout stages by an English side.
By previously defeating both Maribor and Spartak Moscow 7-0, the Reds have already equalled one Bayern feat in scoring seven goals on more than one occasion during the group stages (2014/15 vs. Roma and Shakhtar Donetsk).
Further encouragement can be found in the fact Liverpool jointly possess, along with Real Madrid, the competitions biggest individual margin of victory; 8-0 over Beşiktaş in 2007/08.
A repeat would be more than enough to see them surpass Bayern and set a new aggregate knockout scoreline record. Can they do it? Supporters in the UK not attending the game can watch the action live on BT Sport 3 from 7pm GMT (7.45pm GMT kick-off).
The draw for the quarter-finals of the Champions League will be made at 11am GMT on Friday, March 16, at UEFA headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland.
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