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Porto defender Marcano: "I don’t really like to individualise. Liverpool are a complete team that do things well and are going through a good momentum.

"They haven’t lost any match in the Champions League so far and they want to move forward, but so do we. I think it's going to be a balanced round.

"They have a great attack, but we have already shown that we also have a great team. Our motivation is to go as far as possible in the Champions League, the most important club competition in Europe and in the world.”

Pedro Cunha
Pedro Cunha, Portuguese football writer on BBC Radio 5 Live

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With another coach yes the absence of Vincent Aboubakar would be big, with this one, no. The main difference is Sergio Conceicao. In the last 35 years Porto had been the dominant for in Portuguese football. Now it is Benfica.

Last summer, with Sergio, everything has changed. The main thing he brings is spirit, a kamikaze spirit.

He changes the team a lot, but even without Danilo, the heart of the team, they are doing well.

Image source, EPA

I can't really tell if FC Porto boss Sergio Conceicao dreams or not based on his pre-match quotes.

“I admit I don’t dream much, but I always hope to score goals and not concede. In a round like this, not conceding goals is also very important.

"That's what any coach wants, but I'm not much of a dreamer. Still, dreaming is important and we have to go after our dreams, but we have to be pragmatic about what we want and have to do.”

He also said: “We will face a very strong team, with a budget above 200 million euros, but I don’t keep talking of the difference in budgets between FC Porto and other Portuguese teams.

"This tie will put two historic clubs face-to-face and the players give me confidence to believe it’s possible to win this round.”

BBC Sport

Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino wants to make Porto "suffer" in their Champions League last-16 first-leg tie.

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Tonight's game at the Estadio do Dragao will be Liverpool's first match in the knockout stages of the competition since 2009.

They topped their group scoring 23 goals, a record for an English club and a total surpassed only by Paris St-Germain's tally of 25.

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Liverpool goalkeeper Loris Karius says he has improved as a result of his recent run of starts.

He and Simon Mignolet have been rotated by Jurgen Klopp following inconsistent performances, but Karius has now started the club's last five league games - with three wins and two clean sheets.

"I am feeling good and getting consistent game time helps a lot," the 24-year-old told the Telegraph., external "In the last few games I have had more stuff to do and I have been able to make some saves, which gives you more confidence.

"I have had a lot of experience but it definitely helps when you play regularly instead of coming in and out of the team."

Matip + Lovren = Van Dijk?

Stephen Warnock
Ex-Liverpool defender on BBC Radio 5 live

Virgil van Dijk has brought in a calmness, I can hear him on the TV. But he’s playing with a different centre-back every week because Klopp, he doesn’t know who is better, maybe likes to change to who is better suited against different strikers and opposition but I'm not sure why Klopp keeps doing it.

It’s difficult, because Lovren's game at Totteham was a nightmare, I know he was carrying a bit of an injury.

I like Joel Matip on the ball, but he doesn’t have the pace, the aggressive streak, Lovren does. If you could mesh the two together you would get the perfect one.

BBC World Service

Who is the favourite tonight? The bookmakers have Real Madrid as favourites to win tonight's game, but PSG are shorter odds to qualify.

This is what Rai - the ex-PSG maestro - thinks...

"For sure it's going to be one of the best games of the year, everyone's going to watch it. There are no favourites. Real Madrid is much more used to this kind of challenge but now PSG have new players who love challenges as well so I think it's going to be a big fight."

Andy West
Spanish football writer at Nou Camp

Pablo Brotons, an editor at Spanish sports daily newspaper Marca, told BBC Sport: "From the outside, it's difficult to analyse what has happened inside the dressing room.

"It's unquestionable that the level of play isn't the same last season even though we're talking about practically the same players.

"But it's certainly the 'adios' of guys like Pepe, James Rodriguez and Alvaro Morata has been felt more than expected. They were players who completed a great squad.

"Of course they can win the Champions League. It's their favourite competition and they focus on it like no other team. It's a knockout competition and anything can happen over 180 minutes.

"Remember that in 1998 they were in a very similar situation, and ended up beating Juventus in Amsterdam with Jupp Heynckes on the bench."

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Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp says his side can compete with the best in the Champions League.

The five-time European champions scored 23 goals in their group, a record for an English side, but are not really getting mentioned as potential winners.

"I know it already, we can compete with them," he said.

"I think probably the strongest football team in this moment in Europe is Manchester City and we played them twice already at the highest level.

"The Premier League is a little different but if we meet them, then we could beat them.

"The last 16 in the Champions League is quite a message already.

"Now we have to show that we are not only part of the competition, we are quite ambitious. That is how it is and we have to take it seriously."

Image source, EPA

Porto are top of the Portuguese league, without losing a single game, winning 17 and drawing four of 21.

However they are only two points clear of both Benfica and Sporting Lisbon, who have only lost one each.

They finished second to Besiktas in a Champions League group also containing RB Leipzig and Monaco.

Porto are in the Portuguese cup semi-final, but have gone out of their league cup.

Vincent Aboubakar - missing tonight - is their top scorer.

Phil McNulty
BBC Sport chief football writer

Liverpool and their manager Jurgen Klopp will be quietly satisfied to be facing Porto in the last 16. But there is no room for complacency and the defensive vulnerability which marked their group campaign, illustrated perfectly by the concession of a three-goal lead at Sevilla.

This could prove fatal in the knockout phase - but equally Liverpool have the ability to score goals against any side, and this is what makes them a highly dangerous opponent for any side left in the competition.

Liverpool have suffered a blow with the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona - how much of blow remains to be seen - but in Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane they have an attack to trouble anyone.

They will also fancy their chances of clawing back any disadvantage at Anfield.

But Liverpool will need to cure their weakness at set-pieces as this is an area of expertise for the Portuguese - their eight goals from such situations was the most in this season's group stage.

Liverpool, however, will be favourites to progress.

Happy birthday Angel, you're dropped

John: Liverpool should really have the tie sewn up tonight, Porto are a very average side, Liverpool will cruise through 8-0 on agg, 0-4 tonight

Chris: Liverpool have to be careful not to underestimate Porto tonight. They have a great young and powerful team, that could easily surprise a lot of people

Wales international Gareth Bale is on the bench for Real Madrid as manager Zinedine Zidane makes three changes to the team that beat Real Sociedad 5-2 on Saturday.

Nacho, Casemiro and Isco, all on the bench at the weekend, start at the Bernabeu this evening in place of Marco Asensio, Dani Carvajal and Lucas Vazquez.

Real Madrid: Navas, Ramos, Varane, Nacho, Ronaldo, Kroos, Benzema, Modric, Marcelo, Casemiro, Isco.

Subs: Casilla, Bale, Hernandez, Vazquez, Hakimi, Asensio, Kovacic.

Image source, BBC Sport

Meanwhile, PSG coach Unai Emery has made two changes to the team that won 1-0 at Toulouse to extend their lead at the top of Ligue 1.

Angel di Maria drops to the bench and is replaced by Marco Verratti while Lassana Diarra is also benched with Edinson Cavani, back from injury, returning to the starting XI.

PSG: Areola, Kimpembe, Marquinhos, Verratti, Cavani, Neymar, Berchiche, Lo Celso, Rabiot, Mbappe, Alves.

Subs: Trapp, Silva, Di Maria, Meunier, Diarra, Draxler. Patore.

Image source, BBC Sport

Pat Nevin
BBC Radio 5 live at Estadio do Dragao

Image source, BBC Sport

Every time I watch Liverpool the game is extraordinary: 3-3 in Seville, 3-2 West Bromwich Albion, 2-2 Tottenham, so I expect goals and fireworks tonight.

Whereas Liverpool fans are frustrated by the defensive frailties, I understand - Jurgen is like Pep! He loves sending both full-backs forward home and away. This will always lead to gaps but doesn’t matter if you score goals more than opposition.

With the likes of Mo Salah and Roberto Firmino there are always opportunities so, as a neutral observer, I love to watch Liverpool play.

Andy West
Spanish football writer on BBC Radio 5 live

This match could be decisive in Zinedine Zidane’s reign and could decide whether he stays or goes. It has been a disappointing season, this game, this competition is what many see as their last chance this season.

Why have they been so bad? That’s the million dollar question. They’ve been consistently poor. Individually they’ve been poor but as a whole team and the team structure, despite being the same players. Maybe they’re a bit complacent, their passing game has slowed, maybe there’s a mental tiredness among the players but no-one has an explanation.

They are still confident because it is the Champions League. The mood is defiant. They have been poor but this is their competition.

BBC World Service

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One of the subplots to this game is Paris St-Germain's £200m forward Neymar, who is already being linked to Real Madrid months after joining the French club from Barcelona.

But could that move happen?

Ex-PSG midfielder Rai told BBC World Service: "I haven't had an opportunity to talk to him about this subject but I'm sure he wants to make a big stay in Paris to become the best player in the world playing at PSG.

"I think he has a dream of that. The challenge of his move to PSG is still there in his soul."

Image source, Reuters

Paris St-Germain are desperate to win the Champions League.

Under their mega-rich Qatari owners, they have won four of the last five French league titles - and both domestic cups three years in a row. They are 12 points clear this season.

But it is Europe they really want to conquer, which looked like it might be on the cards last season until one of football's greatest implosions against Barcelona.

In the summer, they signed Neymar for a world record £200m and Kylian Mbappe in a deal that will cost up to £166m.

Reaching the first round of the knockout stages just won't do.

Only PSG (25) scored more goals than Liverpool (23) in the Champions League group stages and Porto will have Liverpool's attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane to contend with as all three start tonight.

Captain Jordan Henderson returns to the side while James Milner and Dejan Lovren also come in. Emre Can, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Joel Matip are the three to make way.

Liverpool XI: Karius, Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Lovren, Robertson, Henderson, Milner, Wijnaldum, Mane, Salah, Firmino.

Image source, .

Good news for Liverpool in the Porto team as striker Vincent Aboubakar, who has scored 20 goals in 28 matches, misses out completely because of a muscle injury.

Porto XI:Jose Sa, Ricardo, Reyes, Marcano, Telles, Herrera, Oliveira, Otavio, Brahimi, Marega, Soares.

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