- Rio Ferdinand has tipped rivals of his former club for Champions League glory
- The former Manchester United icon believes Liverpool can go all the way
- Jurgen Klopp’s side eased past Porto to book their place in the quarter finals
- Ferdinand feels Liverpool’s attacking forward trio give them the edge
Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand has tipped his former club’s bitter rivals Liverpool to be in with a chance of winning the Champions League this season.
Jurgen Klopp’s men booked their place in the quarter finals of the competition after holding Porto to a goalless stalemate at Anfield and taking an emphatic 5-0 victory overall.
Progression sees Liverpool make the quarter finals of European football’s elite competition for the first time since the 2008/09 season, and Ferdinand sees no reason why they cannot go all the way.
Rio Ferdinand feels Liverpool have what it takes to win the Champions League this season
‘I think they have got the potential to [go the whole way]. You wouldn’t want to play Liverpool,’ Ferdinand said while featuring as a pundit on BT Sport.
‘It doesn’t matter who you are in this tournament now that front three, when they are on fire, that intensity.
‘Going to Anfield – a difficult place to go – the pace they have got in that team, they are going to be a hard proposition for any team in this tournament.’
Klopp was equally as pleased with his side’s performance, telling the club website at the full-time whistle: ‘We’re satisfied and it’s already good. I think it was time we showed up again.
Ferdinand has highlighted the threat of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino
Jurgen Klopp has guided the Reds to the quarter finals for the first time since 2008/09
‘[There is] Good development in Liverpool in the moment, it’s a nice moment, but if you don’t show up in a competition like the Champions League then nobody really will realise it.’
Victory saw the Reds officially confirmed as the first English club in the final eight of the competition, though Manchester City look set to follow suit after stacking up a 4-0 aggregate lead over FC Basle.
Manchester United must overcome Seville in a tie which is finely poised at 0-0, while Chelsea travel to the Nou Camp to face a Barcelona side who have an away goal advantage.
Tottenham find themselves in a similar position but are the holders of the away goal advantage, hosting Juventus at Wembley with a 2-2 scoreline.
