The talk around the Premier League has been about Manchester City pulling off a trophy quadruple. Yet, what has been overlooked is Liverpool’s attempt to win a cup double.
The Reds sit atop the Premier League, two points about Manchester City, with five matches to play. In addition, Jurgen Klopp’s side took one step closer to the Champions League semifinals on Tuesday night with a 2-0 first leg win over FC Porto in the quarterfinals.
Liverpool’s win came against the Portuguese league leaders just as Manchester City sunk to defeat at Tottenham Hotspur in their quarterfinal first leg fixture.
So, the question is: Can Liverpool win a Premier League and Champions League double?
Liverpool and the Premier League
The Reds are in-form going into the weekend as they clash with rivals Chelsea. Maurizio Sarri’s team has won three straight matches in the league and look to take points off of Liverpool for a second time.
Daniel Sturridge’s 89th minute goal saved the Reds at Stamford Bridge.Chelsea will play on Thursday night in the Europa League against Slavia Praha in the Czech Republic.
The Blues’ fixture away to Slavia could play into Liverpool’s hands. But don’t expect Sarri to field Eden Hazard in the Europa League. The Belgian has played just 19 minutes in the tournament this campaign.
Liverpool and the Champions League
If Liverpool get past Porto in the Champions League quarterfinals, the Reds will play against Manchester United or Barcelona.
The Reds didn’t blow past Porto as many people predicted, but they were convincing. Liverpool will need another steady performance in next week’s second leg.
Although Porto didn’t tally a goal, they did pressure Liverpool. The defence looked stretched at times, bending but not breaking.
Both teams tallied three shots on target during the first leg while Liverpool dominated possession at 65%.
Liverpool got one big bonus on Tuesday night and that was the return of Joe Gomez. Although he didn’t play, he was on the bench and could play a part at the weekend against Chelsea.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is also gaining fitness having played in a friendly this week. The Reds are getting stronger and it could be coming at just the right time for a league and cup double run-in.
