Stan Collymore Names Biggest Danger to Liverpool Reaching Champions League Semi-Final

19 March 2019 03:21

Former Liverpool forward Stan Collymore has claimed Liverpool will only have themselves to blame if they fail to reach the last four of the Champions League this season.

Jurgen Klopp's side saw off Bayern Munich with a hugely impressive 3-1 win at the Allianz Arena in the round of 16, earning them a quarter-final clash with Portuguese side FC Porto.

In his column for the ​Daily Mirror, Collymore backed his old club to overcome Porto and make the semis, identifying complacency as the biggest obstacle.

Stan Collymore

He wrote: ​Liverpool are the team which will join [Manchester] City in the last four, because the only thing that will stop the Reds beating Porto over two legs is complacency.”


Porto needed extra-time to squeeze past Roma in their last 16 tie and Jurgen Klopp will have been delighted with the draw for the last eight, as he prepares to face the team the Reds thumped 5-0 on their way to last season's Champions League final.

Of all four English teams involved in the quarter-finals, Collymore reckons only Liverpool and ​Man City have what it takes to progress in the competition, but the footballer turned pundit has admitted Spanish giants ​Barcelona are his tip for the trophy. Should Liverpool go through, they will face the winner of Barcelona vs ​Manchester United in the semi-final.


Collymore added: “Barcelona are my favourites for the Champions League, which is why I expect only two English teams to make it to the semi-finals. ​Lionel Messi​Luis Suarez and Co will be too good for Manchester United in the quarters and Manchester City are overwhelming favourites against ​Tottenham and will win."


As Liverpool continue to push Man City in the Premier League title race, Klopp may choose to prioritise one competition over the other. The Porto fixtures will take place either side of a huge league match against ​Chelsea at Anfield, which may force the Reds boss to tinker with his squad.

With such a favourable draw, Liverpool should progress to the last four, but as Collymore stated, complacency as they challenge on two fronts at the business end of the season could be their downfall. 

Source: 90min