Dalot shines again: Liverpool 0-0 Porto player ratings

With the outcome all but decided before the kick-off, Sérgio Conceição shuffled his pack to gain a respectable result at Anfield, while making it absolutely clear that Sunday’s clash with Paços was his number one priority.

The game was incredibly tame (a Kop out?), but that was always likely to be the case given the context of Liverpool’s resounding first-leg victory.

How did Conceição’s much-changed line-up fare? Stephen Gillett was in the stadium and this is how he saw it.

 

 

Casillas: Not a great deal to do first half. Received an ovation from the Kop when taking the field after the break and pulled off a good stop from Salah and a better save from Ings to earn a clean sheet. 7/10

Maxi Pereira: Survived a crunching early tackle with James Milner to make a steady contribution. Tried his luck from range just after the break, but ballooned his shot high, wide and handsome. 6/10

Diego Reyes: Less shaky than he was in the 5-0 mauling, but Liverpool went easy on him. Still less than convincing and bailed out by defensive partner Felipe on occasion. 5/10

Felipe: Stand-in skipper for the night and put in a solid display. Recovered very well in the second half to put in a crucial block on Firmino and was a calm presence at the back. 7/10

Diogo Dalot: A very assured display from the Porto youngster, who was one of his side’s best performers. Made a few decent forward runs and handled Mané, in particular, very well. Strong in the air too. 7/10

Bruno Costa: A surprise inclusion in the starting line-up, Costa was generally neat and tidy on the ball, but failed to influence proceedings greatly. A little bit lightweight. 5/10

André André: Industrious, but unable to make his mark on the game. Booked in the first half after a couple of misjudged tackles. 4/10

Óliver Torres: Not out of place in a congested midfield, and showed some nice touches. Quite a few loose passes though and unable to stamp his authority on the game. Had a dangerous shot blocked late on. 6/10

Vincent Aboubakar: Looked exactly what you’d expect after his injury absence – short of match practice. Heavy-footed and just unable to latch onto a few promising through-balls and half chances. Will benefit from the run out. 5/10

Jesús Corona: His tricky feet kept Alberto Moreno busy. Didn’t have much mobility in front of him, due to Aboubakar’s rustiness. Screwed a shot wide late on after cutting in from the left. 6/10

Majeed Waris: A lively showing from the Lorient loanee, whose low drilled effort drew a good stop from Reds’ keeper Lorius Karius at the start of the second half. Subbed for Ricardo Pereira on 67 minutes. 6/10

Subs:

Sérgio Oliveira: Added creative spark. At the heart of Porto’s best attacking play after entering the game on the hour mark. 6/10

Ricardo Pereira: Replaced Waris after 67 minutes. Looked fit after injury. 5/10

Gonçalo Paciência: On after 69 minutes, the tall striker made his presence felt and helped Porto create some decent half-chances in the final twenty minutes. 5/10

 

Porto: Iker Casillas, Maxi Pereira, Diego Reyes, Felipe (c), Diogo Dalot, André André (Sérgio Oliveira, 60’), Óliver Torres, Waris (R Pereira, 67’), Bruno Costa, Corona, Aboubakar (Paciência, 69’)