OPINION
Liverpool reached their second Champions League semi-final in two season with a thrilling win over Porto on Wednesday.
The Reds swept the Portuguese outfit away with goals from Sadio Mane, Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Virgil Van Dijk, which means that their quest for the double is well and truly on from this point onwards.
However, many Liverpool fans would have been left scratching their heads as to why Jurgen Klopp opted for Divock Origi to lead the line in the place of the dazzling Firmino. The 24-year-old has been barely-used this season, making ten appearances in the Premier League, so it was baffling why the manager had chose him to start the match.
Well, the £45,000-a-week [Spotrac] player proved exactly why he is not the first choice striker on Wednesday. He really struggled to get into the game, especially when Liverpool were on the backfoot, so it was no surprise that he was replaced by Firmino at half time.
He was woeful in front of goal, and he was no doubt one of the main reasons why the Reds had pressure piled on them by Porto. Origi did not make himself a nuisance in the box, and seeing as this was his first start for while, you would have thought that he would make the most of the opportunity.
Klopp knew he had to get some goals, so it was wise to bring Firmino on when he did. Put it this way, he will not be making the same mistake again during such a crucial stage of the campaign.
Origi is surely destined for a summer exit after this abysmal display, as there is no way that he is going to be a part of Klopp’s plans next season, especially if they sign anyone.
His performance against Porto has summed up what a disappointing campaign it has been for the Belgian forward.
