Liverpool crush Porto, reach Champions League semis

Porto (Portugal), April 18: Liverpool reached the Champions League semi-finals after comfortably beating Porto 4-1, with the attacking trio of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino grabbing a goal each.

Virgil van Dijk also scored for Liverpool, which advanced 6-1 on aggregate after winning the first leg 2-0 at home.
   
Liverpool took control after Mane scored a goal in the 26th minute that was confirmed by video review after being initially disallowed for offside. Salah added to the lead in the 65th and Eder Militao scored for Porto in the 69th, but Firmino ended any doubts in the 77th and Van Dijk closed the scoring in the 84th at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday night.
   
Liverpool, which lost in the final last season, will now face Barcelona, which eliminated Manchester United 4-0 on aggregate on Tuesday, reports Xinhua news agency.
   
Porto, which eliminated Roma in the round of 16, had won all of its four home games in the Champions League this season, outscoring opponents 11-3.
   
It was the second consecutive elimination for the Portuguese champions against Liverpool. The English side routed Porto 5-0 at the Estadio do Dragao in the first leg of the round of 16 last season.