Liverpool’s hopes to making it to a second consecutive Champions League final appear to be decent after the draw for the quarterfinals was conducted. In a first, the semifinal draw was also done, which means we’ll know who the Reds’ potential semifinal opponents are (assuming they beat Porto, which we think they should!)

Who are Liverpool playing in the quarters?

They’re playing FC Porto, whom they beat 5-0 in the Ro16 last season. Porto progressed to the last eight by eliminating Roma, who were LFC’s SF opponents last year.

Who are Liverpool’s likely semifinal Champions League opponents?

If they beat Porto, LFC will face the winners of the Manchester United/Barcelona quarterfinal. They would’ve played FCB in last season’s semi had the Catalans not suffered a stunning exit at hands of Roma. The other side of the draw has Ajax, Juve, Man City and Spurs.

Juve, LFC, Man City and Barca are the only teams who also appeared in the last eight in the 2017/18 season.

Liverpool will enter the international break as league leaders after a hard fought 2-1 win over strugglers Fulham at Craven Cottage. With rivals Man City not in action as they were playing in the FA Cup, the Reds had a chance to go top of the league with a win in London, and did so thanks to a first half strike from Sadio Mane and a late penalty from James Milner.

Jurgen Klopp made two changes from the side that had secured a famous European triumph in midweek against Bayern. One was injury enforced in the form of Jordan Henderson, while the other saw James Milner drop to the bench, with Fabinho and Adam Lallana both coming into the XI.

Fulham caretaker boss Scott Parker made twice as many changes as his opposite number. In came Anguissa, Seri, Fosu-Mensah and Ayite and out went Odoi, McDonald, Sessegnon and Nordtveit.

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As good as Liverpool’s performance was on Wednesday night at the Allianz Arena, few would disagree that this was not the Bayern Munich of old. Three FCB players- Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng and Thomas Muller had been told by national coach Jogi Low that they no longer had a future with Die Mannschaft. Muller was suspended for this game, Boateng only made it to the bench because Joshua Kimmich was suspended (which resulted in Rafinha being promoted to the starting XI), and Hummels was poor in comparison to his opposite number Virgil van Dijk, who also beat him to a corner to score the goal that effectively sealed Bayern’s fate.

The German media operates on a 6-1 scale (6 being very bad and 1 being very good). Gnabry and Thiago were the only players to get an “average” rating for this game- both picked up 3’s. Manuel Neuer is nowhere near his best after coming back from injury and that reflected in his 5 for the game. James and Lewandowski were expected to be crucial for Bayern, but neither really turned up on the evening.

Kicker ran the headline “Deutsches Desaster”, alluding to the fact that no German club made it to the quarters of the CL. Continue reading →