Rio Ferdinand on why teams will want to avoid Liverpool in the Champions League

Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand has said that Liverpool's forward trio of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino and Mohamed Salah are talented enough to threaten any side in this season's Champions League.

Liverpool and Real Madrid both advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals on Tuesday after their respective aggregate victories over Porto and Paris Saint-Germain. Ferdinand said that no team will want to play Jurgen Klopp's side who have now scored 28 goals through eight games in this year's tournament. "I think they have got the potential to [go the whole way]. You wouldn’t want to play Liverpool," said Ferdinand on BT Sport. "I don't care who you are in this tournament now that front three, when they are on fire, the way they play, the 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." https://twitter.com/btsportfootball/status/971151587577020416 Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard added that he has been impressed by the club's defence since the signing of defender Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and that they have cut out the costly mistakes that have plagued them in recent seasons. "Liverpool are a dangerous team," said Gerrard. "The big improvement in Liverpool - and people talk about the front three and how they dangerous they are and how good they are - but for me, watching them a lot, defensively they've tightened up. "The goalkeeper is in great form. Van Dijk has made a big impact but they've cut out the mistakes. They've had a lot of criticism over mistakes early in the season but a clean sheet tonight and one at the weekend so it's all looking positive."