Jamie Carragher has revealed that he’d like to see Liverpool face FC Porto in the Champions League last-16.
The Reds progressed through to the knockout stages of Europe’s premier competition after winning five of their six group games and will find out their next opponents when the draw takes place on Monday.
The six-time European Cup winners can face either Porto, Benfica, Real Madrid or Bayern Munich in the next round and the ex-Red wants another trip to the Estadio do Dragao.
“I would go Liverpool to play Porto,” Carragher told CBS Sports (via HITC). “We have played them a few times in the past. I think, psychologically, we always seem to have the edge on them.
“I think Liverpool will be a different proposition for anybody after Christmas. They aren’t at the races, right now. I think we will see Liverpool back to their best.
“I hope so (Liverpool getting another midfielder by then) and the fact that it’s in Istanbul, so as I said last year, I can feel it.”
Jurgen Klopp’s side has faced the Portuguese outfit on numerous occasions in recent seasons.
We’ve won five of our last six meetings with the Primeira Liga champions by an aggregate score of 18-2 so it’s fair to say that Sergio Conceicao’s side will want to avoid us.
Porto won’t be pushovers, however, after they topped their group which included Club Brugge, Atletico Madrid and Bayer Leverkusen and there’s no easy game in the Champions League, especially in the knockout stages.
Benfica would be the other club that you’d opt to face over Real Madrid or Bayern Munich but in order to win the competition you have to beat the best at some point anyway.
The Last 16 ties won’t be played until February and March when the likes of Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota should be back to full fitness and the squad should be ready to attack the second half of the season.
We will find out our next opponents on Monday with the draw set to commence at 11am.