Liverpool have been drawn against Porto in the knock-out stages of the Champions League.
Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson delivered his verdict on Liverpool’s chances of winning the Champions League, when writing his column for Sky Sports, highlighting their goalkeeping woes as something that could hamper their hopes of glory.
The Reds have been magnificent going forward this season, with the likes of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino thrilling crowds up and down the country with their blistering pace and exceptional interplay.
Their defensive displays have been quite the opposite, however, with the 28 goals they have conceded in the Premier League thus far seriously damaging their hopes of mounting a sustained challenge for the title.
And Merson highlighted their fragile back-line as something that could prevent them from progressing in the Champions League this season, when writing his column for Sky Sports, singling out their goalkeeping options as a major concern:
“Liverpool can’t win the Champions League in a month of Sundays. They just can’t defend. Look at Sunday, 4-1 up and there’s still drama in the last five minutes! The players going forward for them do cover up the cracks at the back. And you go through any champions, World Cup, Premier League, European Championships, European Cups, tell me a team that has won anything without a good, in-form goalkeeper?”
The Reds travel to Porto for the first leg of their knock-out tie on February 14th, and Jürgen Klopp will have to ensure that his team are set up with some kind of rigidity and discipline, if they are to return to Merseyside with anything to show for their efforts.
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