4 Reasons Why Liverpool Should Be Confident About Beating FC Porto in the Champions League Last 16

Having topped Group E after an emphatic 7-0 win over Spartak Moscow, many Liverpool fans were apprehensive as to who they would be drawn against in the last 16 of the Champions League. 

With the likes of Juventus, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid  all in pot two for the draw it came as a major relief for fans of the Reds when they were drawn against FC Porto.

With the next stage of Europe's premier competition coming in the impending new year and hope and belief for all teams at an all time high, here are four reasons Liverpool will be confident about pushing past FC Porto and progressing to the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2008/09 season.

1. Liverpool Are Undefeated Against FC Porto

When Porto and Liverpool last met it was in Group A of the 2007/08 Champions League. Rafael Benitez's men would eventually finish the group as runners-up, but didn't get there without comfortably beating the eventual group winners 4-1 at Anfield along the way.

Prior to that meeting Liverpool faced off against Os Dragoes three times, once again in the 2007/08 Champions League group stage whereby the Reds picked up a 1-1 draw in Portugal and twice in the 2000/01 UEFA Cup quarter finals, with Liverpool once again winning at home (2-0) and drawing at the Estadio dos Antas (0-0).

2. Mohamed Salah Can't Stop Scoring

From his first 24 games as a Liverpool player, Mohamed Salah has been involved in 25 goals. That statistic alone speaks for itself, but it is impossible to understate just how good Salah has been since moving to Anfield in June this year. 

When you're the most influential player in a team that features the likes of Philippe Coutinho, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino you've got to be doing something right, and the 'King of Egypt' has been outshining his teammates week after week. 

If the 25-year-old winger can keep showing this kind of form there's no reason he couldn't single handedly propel Liverpool through to the last eight and even beyond.

3. Liverpool's Attack Against FC Porto's Defence

Of all the team's to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League, Liverpool have the second-best attacking record with 23 goals scored and FC Porto have the second-worst defensive record with 10 goals conceded, with only Sevilla's defensive record being worse, no thanks to Liverpool sticking five goals past them

Such a contrast in goal scoring/conceding records surely sets this tie up to be nothing short of a goal-fest, a prospect that will surely excite the superlative attacking quartet of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino.

4. FC Porto's Record in the Champions League Last 16

Over the last decade FC Porto have been an (almost) ever-present side in the Champions League, reaching the group stages on all bar one occasion. Each time they've entered the competition, no matter how well they fare, they can barely ever seem to progress beyond the last 16 stage. 

Since the 2007/08 season, FC Porto have managed to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition on only two occasions. Such a record will serve to reassure even the most sceptical Liverpool fans, with the Reds having won four of their last five last 16 ties.