Jurgen Klopp marvelled over a Thiago Alcantara "thunderbolt" but felt Liverpool were somewhat fortunate to beat Porto 2-0 in the Champions League.
Klopp rung the changes for Wednesday's clash at Anfield, with the Reds already through to the round of 16 as Group B winners.
Porto had their chances and were made to pay for their profligacy when Thiago fired home a sublime long-range first-time finish in the second half before Mohamed Salah clinically took his goal tally for the season to 17.
Thiago has endured a frustrating start to his Reds career, but he showed outstanding technique to get off the mark for the season and pulled the strings in the middle of the park alongside Champions League debutant Tyler Morton.
Klopp said of the Spain international's world-class finish: "We had bigger chances in the game than that. Incredible.
"I see that in training, I know he has the technique to do it, but you don't always hit a thunderbolt like that. We needed some moments, some luck, they had big chances on the counter-attack."
Klopp gave key men a rest with qualification already assured and the Liverpool manager expects a stronger showing against Southampton in the Premier League this weekend.
He said: "We could have lost this tonight. We were lucky in moments, yes. We have moments when we're not cool to play against, true, but I didn't expect that tonight.
"I didn't expect a ruthless pressing machine, we grew into the game and that's what I am happy about. We have to play better against Southampton as they are a machine."
The German added: "We had lots to think about, who is injured. who hasn't played, who needs a rest.
"No one felt like they needed a rest as [playing] Saturday-Wednesday the boys are used to that, but it's about the games coming up, so we needed the boys in a rhythm. It all worked out. No injuries, all good."
Liverpool have won all five Champions League matches this season, while Porto remain second ahead of a decisive final group game at home to Atletico Madrid in a fortnight.
Milan, who face Liverpool at San Siro in their last group match, and Atleti are just a point behind Porto after the Serie A side beat the LaLiga champions 1-0.
5 key talking points as rivals Man City and Man Utd clash in FA Cup final
Rivals Manchester City and Manchester United clash in the FA Cup final this weekend.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key talking points ahead of the Wembley encounter.
The trebleCity head to Wembley hoping to complete the second leg of a glorious treble. The Premier League title is in the bag and the Champions League final against Inter Milan is still to come. Adding spice to the occasion is the fact that United are the only other English club to have achieved this feat, back in 1999. Their fans would certainly love nothing more than to stop their neighbours emulating them.
Champions League final influenceIt will be interesting to see how much of a bearing the Champions League final has on City manager Pep Guardiola’s selection. The European competition is the one great prize that has eluded him during his time at City and is undoubtedly his priority. He could opt to hold players back with that in mind. However, this is not his normal way and, with a week between the fixtures, there is time for rest and recovery. Guardiola will also need to keep his star players sharp and there can be few better games in which to do so than a Wembley final.
Ten Hag recoveryErik ten Hag has lifted spirits at Old Trafford after a dreadful 2021-22 campaign in which they got through three managers. There have still been some bad defeats along the way – most notably 4-0 at Brentford, 6-3 at City and 7-0 at Liverpool – but the Dutchman has generally earned credit for the way he turned the team around. He won the Carabao Cup and got them back into the Champions League. There was even talk of a title challenge at one stage as they hit form mid-season. United are still some way off where they aspire to be, but winning the FA Cup would cap a promising campaign.
Haaland chasing more headlinesErling Haaland has written his name all over this season. The prolific Norwegian has had a sensational impact at City, scoring 52 goals in all competitions. Dixie Dean’s near century-old all-time single-season record of 63 may be beyond him now but he will be hungry for more and to add a significant, competition-winning strike to his tally. He is not the only dangerman in the City side but he will be the one feared most by United.
United optionsUnited’s pursuit of Champions League football fuelled a strong finish to their Premier League campaign. With players also staking claims for cup final places, they secured third place with a run of four-successive wins. This has given Ten Hag the pleasant problem of deciding which players to leave out. The make-up of the attack could be particularly interesting with Marcus Rashford now fit after illness, Antony close to returning from injury and Alejandro Garnacho and Jadon Sancho having done their cases no harm in recent weeks.
How managers Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag fare ahead of FA Cup final
Pep Guardiola and Erik ten Hag will lead the teams out at Wembley this weekend in the first-ever all-Manchester FA Cup final.
Ahead of Saturday’s showdown in the capital, the PA news agency has taken a closer look at the City and United managers.
Past meetingsThis season’s Premier League encounters are the only times these managers have faced off, with City winning the first encounter 6-3 in October before United came back to win 2-1 at Old Trafford in January.
But while they do not have a huge history of playing against one another, these managers know each other well.
Ten Hag left Go Ahead Eagles in his homeland in 2013 to become head coach of Bayern Munich II – the reserve team of the perennial Bundesliga champions, who were then managed by Guardiola.
The United boss said the Spaniard inspired him, with the pair talking regularly with the Dutchman watching him very carefully. Ten Hag has previously described his training sessions as “a joy to watch”.
Guardiola clearly thinks highly of his cross-city rival, who he said would have made an excellent successor for him at the Etihad Stadium before his United appointment was confirmed.
TrophiesGuardiola, arguably the greatest coach of this generation, boasts an eye-watering medal haul.
The 52-year-old has won 11 top-flight titles – three LaLiga crowns, three Bundesliga titles and now five Premier League triumphs. Guardiola oversaw a pair of Champions League victories at Barcelona, which he hopes to add to against Inter Milan in June’s Istanbul finale.
The Catalan has also won domestic trophies aplenty wherever he has been, with Saturday offering the chance to win his second FA Cup.
The freshly-crowned LMA Manager of the Year takes on a man that led Ajax to three Eredivisie titles during his time in Amsterdam, as well as a pair of KNVB Cups and the Johan Cruyff Shield.
Ten Hag’s first silverware as a manager was the Regionalliga Bayern title in 2014, while this season’s Carabao Cup victory was his latest triumph and first at United.
This seasonCity are looking to write their name in history by matching United’s 1999 treble heroes. Guardiola’s side saw off Arsenal’s impressive title charge during an unrelenting end to the season that led them to be crowned with three games to spare – their fifth in six years and third in succession.
Inter stand in their way as City make their second Champions League final appearance on June 10, where they would have the chance to wrap up the treble, unless Ten Hag’s Red Devils can put a spoke in the wheel at Wembley.
United have improved vastly on last season’s wretched campaign to finish third in the Premier League, securing a Champions League return on the back of ending their six-year wait for silverware.
Ten Hag became just the second manager in the club’s medal-laden history to win a major trophy in his first season at the helm with February’s Carabao Cup triumph against Newcastle.
Now comes the chance to add another trophy to the cabinet with a statement victory that would end their neighbours’ treble dreams.
How Manchester United reached the FA Cup final for a 21st time
Manchester United are through to a record-equalling 21st FA Cup final and will take on Manchester City on Saturday.
Here, the PA news agency looks at the Red Devils’ route to another Wembley showdown.
Man Utd 3 Everton 1 (third round, Jan 6)In-form Marcus Rashford scored his fifth goal in as many games after creating two others as Erik ten Hag’s men cruised to victory.
The forward set up Antony’s early opener before seeing a second-half cross turned into his own net by Conor Coady, scorer of Everton’s equaliser.
Then in stoppage time Rashford kept his scoring run going by sending Jordan Pickford the wrong way from the penalty spot after Ben Godfrey fouled Alejandro Garnacho.
Man Utd 3 Reading 1 (fourth round, Jan 28)Casemiro scored a magnificent brace before Fred flicked home audaciously as United’s Brazilian stars sparkled.
The hosts initially made hard work of the straightforward fourth-round assignment against Championship opposition, but second half samba magic in the Manchester rain sealed victory on a night when Amadou Mbengue grabbed Reading a consolation after Andy Carroll was sent off.
Man Utd 3 West Ham 1 (fifth round, March 1)Teenage star Garnacho inspired United to a late comeback win as Ten Hag’s men sealed progress to the FA Cup quarter-finals three days on from their Carabao Cup triumph.
United looked set to be brought back down to earth with a bump after Said Benrahma put the Hammers into a deserved lead, only for Nayef Aguerd’s 77th-minute own goal to spark an impressive turnaround.
Garnacho’s superb 90th-minute effort followed, before a stoppage-time strike by Fred.
Man Utd 3 Fulham 1 (quarter-finals, March 19)United punished five minutes of madness from Fulham as they came from behind to progress to the semi-finals.
Marco Silva’s men were full value for the lead that Aleksandar Mitrovic gave them five minutes into the second half, but the wheels came off with around 20 minutes left.
Silva, Willian and Mitrovic were all sent off in quick succession, with Bruno Fernandes levelling from the resulting penalty.
Marcel Sabitzer flicked home to put United ahead, before the Fernandes lashed in another in stoppage time.
Man Utd 0 Brighton 0 – United win 7-6 on pens (semi-finals, April 23)View this post on InstagramUnited set-up an all-Manchester final against rivals City after Solly March’s spot-kick miss saw Brighton suffer semi-final shoot-out heartache.
In-form Albion made Ten Hag’s team sweat as the south-coast club sought to reach just their second FA Cup final, with the semi-final ending 0-0 after 120 minutes at Wembley.
The first 12 penalties of the shoot-out found the net before Albion favourite March blazed over, allowing Victor Lindelof to secure a 7-6 win.
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