THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE quarter-finals get underway on Tuesday as Liverpool welcome Porto to Anfield. Daniel McCulloch (@DMcCulloch1984) shares his betting thoughts.
Liverpool v Porto | Tuesday 9th April 2019, 20:00 | BT Sport
Liverpool entertain Porto at Anfield tonight in an encounter that they are overwhelming favourites for. The Reds are a best price of 3/10 and to some that may seem a little skinny.
Porto overcame Roma in the previous round and amassed 16 points from their six games in the group stages while they’ve gained 18 points from their last seven games domestically. However, they will be acutely aware that this game represents a huge step up and I cannot see them being able to meet the challenge.
These two met in the knockout stages of last season’s competition and it was barely competitive. Liverpool won the away leg 5-0 and saw the home tie out comfortably. Indeed, while Liverpool have been solid rather than spectacular in the Champions League this terms – single goal victories over Napoli and PSG being the highlights – their domestic record has been exceptional, with 14 victories and two draws at Anfield.
Ten of those 14 wins have been by two goals or more and I believe that they will want to end the tie as a contest on Tuesday night. In this competition last season, Liverpool put five past Roma and three past Manchester City when the home leg occurred first and with that in mind, I will take the 17/20 with Black Type on Liverpool -1.5 in the Asian Handicap market.
Additionally, I like the look of Sadio Mane to score first at 9/2 with Bet365. The Senegalese has scored the opening goal in six of Liverpool’s last 12 matches in all competitions and he will have fond memories of tonight’s opponents given that he scored a hat-trick against them last season.
Best Bets
Liverpool v Porto – Liverpool -1.5 Asian Handicap (17/20 BlackType)
Liverpool v Porto – Sadio Mane to score first (9/2 Bet365)
