Liverpool are planning Porto-style Euro shock
Few believed the Portuguese and their fast-taking boss could scale the heights of Europe’s elite event, but Mourinho masterminded UEFA Cup and Champions League triumphs in successive seasons.
It is not lost on Liverpool’s delighted fans that their new boss Rafael Benitez won the UEFA Cup last season with Valencia, and is steadily picking off rivals in this season’s Champions League.
There was a quiet confidence among Liverpool’s party on their crack-of-dawn return flight to Merseyside after the 6-2 aggregate triumph over Bayer Leverkusen.
It was summed up by Republic full back Steve Finnan, who said: “Of course we can do what Porto did, why not?
“Nobody expected them to win it but they did. We are now starting to score goals - six goals in two legs against Leverkusen surely shows something about us.
“That has been a tough test so there is no reason why we can’t go all the way. We have the experience and the players at this level so hopefully we can do it and surprise people.”
Liverpool blazed into a quick two-goal lead with two Luis Garcia strikes to devastate the home side’s morale and Finnan added: “It was easier than we thought. The first goal was always going to be important and we got it, so from then things were a lot easier than they could have been.
“They seemed to think that was the end of it and they could not get back into the tie. It turned into a comfortable win. But the fact that Manchester United and Arsenal have not managed to get to this stage shows just how difficult it is.
“Whoever you play at this level is tough, but we did such a good job in the first leg it gave us a real incentive and a belief that we could finish the job.
“United and Arsenal had difficult ties and couldn’t manage it. But we have done it and that has made us feel pretty good.
“Now we have two home games next, against Blackburn and then Everton and they are very important. After having a taste of the Champions League this season the incentive is there for us to make sure we are back in next term and we can still finish fourth.”
The bookies reflect the feeling around Europe that Liverpool have gone as far as they can. Chelsea are favourites at 10-3, AC Milan 7-2, Juventus 4-1, Bayern Munich 6-1, Lyon and Inter Milan 8-1, Liverpool 10-1, Eindhoven 20-1 and Porto, already 1-0 down and facing a second leg away to Inter next week, are 80-1 outsiders.
But those odds will only inspire Liverpool further. Luis Garcia added his support to the theory that Liverpool can shock the European super-powers they once rubbed shoulders with as equals.
He said: “We are in the last eight and anything can happen. If Porto can win the Champions League then so can we. In football, many unpredictable things happen every season so why shouldn’t we believe we can go all the way?”
Defender Jamie Carragher warmed to the theme, saying: “To beat Leverkusen is a great result. They are a top class opposition and you only have to look at their home record where they scored three goals against Real Madrid and Roma.
“We are in the quarter finals now and anything can happen. There are some good teams left in the Champions League but any team can win it. It is not always the best teams that win a cup competition and we feel we have a chance.”
For midfielder Vladimir Smicer it was the chance to gain sweet revenge for his last visit to the Bavarian, where Leverkusen knocked out Liverpool at the quarter final stage three years ago.
Smicer said: “We played well, we should have scored more goals, but it was a great win and a great victory and it was certainly better than three years ago when we lost in the quarter finals in Leverkusen.
“I had some bad memories from that match, it was rough on us because we lost it right at the end when it looked like we were in the semi-finals. I am just glad that we have put that right in some ways and are through to the next round.”
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