Andy Robertson has insisted that Liverpool’s players are thriving under the pressure of the title race but has warned they must not underestimate Porto in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final on Wednesday.
Jürgen Klopp’s side travel to Portugal with a 2-0 advantage as they bid to reach the last four of Europe’s premier club competition for the second season in a row. Robertson missed the victory at Anfield due to suspension but returned for the win against Chelsea on Sunday that took Liverpool back to the summit of the Premier League and the Scotland captain admitted he has relished the atmosphere surrounding their quest for a first title for nearly three decades.
“I think we’re all enjoying it,” he said. “You saw that with our performance against Chelsea. The fans enjoyed it, we enjoyed it. It’s easier when you are in front in a game.
“This is the first time a lot of us have found ourselves in a position like this and you have to enjoy experiences like this. Hopefully we’ll be celebrating come the end. But we know there’s a lot of hard work still to be done.”
Liverpool thrashed Porto 5-0 at the Estádio do Dragão in the first leg of the last-16 stage last season as they went on to reach the final but Robertson is expecting a far tougher challenge this time around from opponents who are level on points with Benfica at the top of the Portuguese side.
“We know the tie is far from dead. Porto are a different team at home,” he said. “We need to be at 100%. We need to recover and ensure we’re ready to go on Wednesday night to hopefully secure that semi-final spot.
“We’ve been to Porto before so we know what to expect. I’m sure it will be a very different game compared to what we did last time. We were just too good for them at their place last year but they’re a different team now. We know how hard it will be but we’ll be prepared for it. It’s all about getting the job done.”