Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says “the future could be ours” as they prepare for Tuesday’s Champions League quarter-final first leg against Porto at Anfield.
They beat Porto 5-0 on aggregate in the last 16 last season, before losing the final to Real Madrid.
The Reds are top of the Premier League with five games remaining.
“We feel in a good moment. We feel that each of our players is fantastic. We are on fire,” said Klopp.
“In training, you can see we are really in a good moment, but other teams are as well. We all play for a lot.
“The future could be ours – maybe not ours alone, but we could have a hand.”
Since he took over in October 2015, Liverpool have reached the Europa League and Champions League finals. They have not won the league title in 29 years.
Klopp said Liverpool hoped to write a “few things in our record books” this season.
“Our development is incredible, especially in this tournament,” said Klopp.
“We used every little step we made in the last years to improve. The boys grew with the challenges they were facing.
“The Europa League ride was brilliant until Basel, and the Champions League was exactly the same until Kiev. We have much more positive moments in these competitions than negative, and of course, that helps the team.
“It doesn’t mean anything for Tuesday night, other than that we are more experienced.
“It’s such a good time. We have to use the situation. We have not finished the season; we have not finished our development.”
Liverpool drew 0-0 with Porto on their most recent meeting, after the Reds had won last season’s Champions League last-16 first leg 5-0 at the Estadio do Dragao.
Defending Portuguese champions Porto are second to Benfica only on goal difference with six games left this season.
Despite Liverpool being regarded as favourites to reach the semi-finals, Klopp said: “People around said so many things. Everybody wanted Porto until you have Porto. We didn’t want Porto, to be honest.
“They only look at numbers, names and stuff like that. People with a proper idea about football didn’t want to have Porto, that’s the truth. But nobody wanted Liverpool as well.
“We don’t want to give them the feeling it’s an easy place to come, and for most of the teams in the Champions League, it’s been a tough place.”
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