Liverpool booked their place within the UEFA Champions League semi-finals regardless of a 3-3 residence draw in opposition to Benfica within the quarter-final second leg match performed at Anfield on Wednesday evening.
The Reds led 3-1 from the primary leg performed per week in the past in Portugal, and had been in no hazard of shedding the benefit earlier than a virtually fully-packed Anfield Stadium.
It is no shock they made a powerful begin, creating probabilities within the opening jiffy.
It was the guests although who had the primary open likelihood within the thirteenth minute when Everton tried his luck with a thunderbolt of a shot in direction of objective from lengthy vary, however his highly effective strike went narrowly huge of the left publish.
Liverpool although appeared the most probably facet to attain first, and it didn’t take lengthy earlier than they discovered the breakthrough – within the twenty third minute.
Having not scored a single objective for the Reds, Ibrahima Konate opened his Liverpool account final week in opposition to the Portuguese facet, and he curiously gave them the lead at Anfield when he expertly headed residence a Konstantinos Tsimikas nook.
Two minutes later, Benfica thought they’d equalised when Darwin Nunez put the ball into the again of the online, however the assistant referee raised his flag and the referee blew his whistle for offside.
Luis Diaz was then denied by Odysseas Vlachodimos simply earlier than the half-hour mark after the winger made some house for himself contained in the field and unleashed a fast shot to the appropriate facet of the objective.
Benfica nonetheless bought again into the sport within the thirty second minute when Goncalo Ramos acquired an excellent likelihood contained in the field and drilled a shot into the underside left nook.
The objective was nonetheless subjected to a VAR evaluation to establish whether or not or not there was an offside within the build-up.
Simply earlier than the break, a rebound fell on the ft of Naby Keita, and he hit a first-time exocet from lengthy vary that flew a whisker previous the appropriate publish.
Jurgen Klopp’s expenses began the second half like they ended the primary, creating plenty of probabilities as they went for the win.
10 minutes into the half, they doubled their lead when Diogo Jota fed Roberto Firmino, who tapped the ball into an empty internet to make it 2-1.
It was 3-1 after the hour mark as Tsimikas as soon as once more floated a stunning ball in from the free-kick to Firmino, and he slotted the ball inside the appropriate publish.
Benfica made it 3-2 within the 73rd minute when Roman Yaremchuk discovered the again of the online, however the objective was subjected to a VAR evaluation.
The guests battled and bought the equaliser within the 83rd minute, this time Darwin Nunez beating Alisson in objective.
Similar to the primary two targets, the strike was reviewed by VAR, earlier than it was allowed to face.
Regardless of their finest efforts, Benfica couldn’t get their well past the Reds, bowing out 6-4 on mixture.
Liverpool will now meet Villarreal within the semi-finals for a remaining ticket.
