Liverpool 2-0 Porto: Jordan Henderson proves he’s a Champions League GOAT

Jordan Henderson proved he was a Champions League GOAT after Liverpool beat Porto 2-0 in the quarter-final first leg on Tuesday night.

Henderson laid on a delicious ball for right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold, who had the simple task of playing Roberto Firmino in with a low, hard cross across the six-year box for the Reds’ second of the night.

The simple fact is that Hendo is always one of the better performers when it comes to big game. The former Sunderland junior has some serious big match temperament, and we have to love him for it.

Even among professionals, that’s a rare mentality to have and needs to be treasured. You see it loads: someone with real skill, but when the pressure is really on they fade away. Not Henderson, not ever.

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Against Bayern Munich the midfielder was one of the top performers and was rightly applauded for it.

And now he’s done it again. You absolute beauty.

Henderson is a player who gets a lot of stick throughout the season. When he plays well it seems to be brushed off, and when he doesn’t hit those high levels he’s rounded and scapegoated.

It’s a hard life.

But now Liverpool take a two goal advantage and a clean sheet into the second leg of the quarter-final and are in a prime position to go through to the Champions League semi-final.

Firmino scored the first, but Naby Keita showed what he really has in his locker with an excellent goal from the edge of the box. Keita has now hit the back of the net two games in a row and is starting to look the part.

Dejan Lovren and James Milner started in defence in a mini-shake up from manager Jurgen Klopp, while Joe Gomez made the bench. Apart from that, there were no other selection surprises in a routine night for Liverpool.