FC Porto coach Sergio Conceicao reckons Liverpool are "the best team in the world" on their day as the Portuguese side face up to the daunting prospect of overturning a two-goal deficit in their Champions League quarter-final.
The teams meet at the Estadio do Dragao on Wednesday in the second leg of their last-eight tie, with Porto needing a historic comeback to go through after losing 2-0 at Anfield last week with Naby Keita and Roberto Firmino scoring.
While Porto have won all four home games in the Champions League this season, Liverpool travel to northern Portugal on top of the Premier League and unbeaten in 16 games.
"They are everything I like about football. I like the way they play, the way they are with the ball and without it," Conceicao said at an eve-of-game press conference on Tuesday.
"In my opinion, a lot of the time just now they are the best team in the world."
"Why they don't protect teams like us? I have to ask what the main goal is for FC Porto, and it is the league."