Benfica 1-3 Liverpool
An entertaining night at the Estádio da Luz saw Liverpool overcome Benfica 3-1 to put themselves in a strong position to make the last four of this season's Champions League.
The English side dominated the first half and were good value for their 2-0 lead thanks to goals from Konaté and Sadio Mané. But Benfica came out all guns blazing after the break, pulled a goal back through Darwin Núñez and several times came close to drawing level.
The equaliser did not come, however, and a late Luis Díaz goal all but sealed the tie for Liverpool.
Big favourites going into the match, Liverpool asserted their authority early on with Keita and Salah testing Vlachodimos in the Benfica goal in the opening minutes, and the visitiors did not have to wait long to take the lead with a simple goal.
Robertson swung over a corner and Konaté rose highest to head into the net from six yards out. Luis Díaz then raced through and tried to dink the ball over the Benfica goalkeeper but did not get enough on his attempt and Vlachodimos saved.
Liverpool slick
Salah, Mané and Díaz were causing panic in the Benfica back line with the home team barely able to get out of their defensive half of the field. However, on a rare foray upfield a corner was won and Otamendi was a whisker away from connecting in front of goal.
Liverpool were soon on the attack again, though, and when Alexander Arnold latched onto a loose Taraabt turnover he immediately played one of his characteristic diagonal throughballs to Díaz, who headed into the path of Mané for the easiest of finishes. 2-0.
The chances kept coming for liverpool, Vlachodimas adding to his growing catalogue of saves to deny Salah and Benfica will have been pleased to reach the interval losing by only two goals.
Benfica roar back
Whatever coach Nélson Veríssimo said to his players during the break had the desired effect as the Eagles came out all guns blazing in the second half. Rafa Silva escaped down the right flank and crossed low into the box where Konaté turned from hero to villain by completely missing his clearance, allowing Darwin a free shot on goal from 10 yards out. The young Uruguayan did not pass up the oppoortunity and suddenly it was 2-1 and the crowd were aroused.
Roared on by 60,000 fans, Benfica enjoyed their best spell of the match, with Liverpool looking uncertain at the back in the face of a series of rapid attacks down both flanks. Darwin shot powerfully over from long range then could not quite adjust his body in time to get a heading opportunity on target.
The best chance though fell to Everton, who had a clear look at goal on the edge of the box, but Allison in Liverpool's goal was equal to the Brazilian's effort.
Benfica's purple patch gradually ran out of steam and it was again Liverpool who started to look the more threatening outfit. Díaz shot wide from close range, but the former Porto player was not to be denied, running onto Keita's throughball, rounding Vlachodimos and slotting into the empty net to trigger huge celebrations among the travelling Liverpool fans. 3-1, game over, and very probably tie over.
There was still time for Diogo Jota to miss a golden chance to increase the margin of victory.
It will take something truly remarkable for Benfica to turn around the aggregate score at Anfield next week.
Analysis: gap getting wider and wider
I was at Alvalade one month ago where Manchester City were 4-0 up against Sporting at half time and for a while it looked like something similar would happen in Lisbon tonight.
Credit to Benfica for fighting back, but the gap in quality between the two teams was clear to see.
In the other Champions League semi-final tonight, Bernardo Silva, João Cancelo and João Félix were playing, and Rúben Dias would have been if he was not injured. Both goalkeepers were ex-Benfica. Liverpool's team tonight contained Diogo Jota and Luis Díaz, two former Porto players.
What is my point? With Portuguese teams forced to sell their best players, simultaneously weakening their level while bolstering their European rivals, it is sadly difficult to see any Primeira Liga team truly competing at the top table any time soon.
Just imagine if Benfica had been able to field Ederson, Cancelo, Dias, Bernardo and Félix tonight...
by Tom Kundert, at the Estádio da Luz
Benfica: Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Grimaldo, Taarabt (Meité, 70), Weigl, Everton (Yaremchuk, 82), Rafa Silva, Gonçalo Ramos (João Mario, 86), Darwin Núnez
Liverpool: Alisson, Alexander-Arnold (Joe Gomez, 89), Konaté, van Dijk, Robertson, Keita (Milner, 89), Fabinho, Alcántara (Henderson, 61), Salah (Jota, 61), Mané (Firmino, 61), Luis Díaz
Goals:
[0-1] Konaté, 17’
[0-2] Mané, 34’
[1-2] Darwin, 49’
[1-3] Díaz, 87’
