Liverpool Bend Porto, Jurgen Klopp Praises Jordan Henderson’s Transformation Role

DBasia.news –  Changes in the role of Jordan Henderson helped Liverpool win 2-0 over FC Porto at Anfield, the Champions League quarter-final first leg on Wednesday (10/4) early morning Western Indonesian Time.

The 28-year-old released three key passes against Porto with an offensive central midfield role, not the anchor midfielder (survived) as usual. Jurgen Klopp, manager   Liverpool, until they regret not playing in that position from the start of the season.

“Hendo is a very great player. I am really happy he can show it again. He likes that position, so this is my fault in one and a half years of placing him as a defender, but we need it there,” Klopp said to BBC Sport.

His great performance responded to criticism of the player who had played 316 games with Liverpool, since joining from Sunderland in 2011 and becoming captain, replacing Steven Gerrard, in 2015.

Henderson is usually criticized for playing inconsistencies and lack of creativity playing in midfield. Henderson tends to pass the ball to the side of the game instead of taking more risks with the pass in the middle of the game.

Liverpool won through goals from Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino. Klopp, who won his 400th victory in his career as a coach, was very satisfied with two home goals scored by his team without conceding a goal.

“We deserve to win 100 percent. We scored two great goals, we are in a lot of very dangerous situations. Broadly speaking, the team’s performance was good,” Klopp added.

“A very good 2-0 result, I might choose to take that result before the game and keep doing it now.”

“2-0, the match will still take place (in the second leg), we have to go there and fight. Porto will try to mobilize everything to get up and it will be a very difficult game again,” explained the German manager.

The second leg will take place at the Estadio do Dragao on Thursday (18/4) at 2:00 a.m. Western Indonesian Time. Porto need a 3-0 victory if they want to directly qualify for the Champions League semifinals. But, the realistic target for them is to equalize the aggregate goal by trying to win 2-0, until the game continues into the extra rounds and the potential for a penalty shoot-out.