40
21:42
Benfica will have to be careful in the future. If they are too high in their own offensive game, the Reds can always punish them mercilessly.
38
21:41
Grimaldo unpacks the monster tackle! Now Milner suddenly has the brilliant idea. He hits the opening ball from the left touchline into Lisbon’s half, where Firmino is completely free to run. Vlachodimos comes out first, but then quickly turns back. Firmino runs into the box and wants to cross to Díaz, who would only have to push into the empty goal halfway to the right in the penalty area. But then Grimaldo gets in the way, who risks everything and maneuvers the ball out of the sixteen with a tackle – a mega move by the full-back!
38
21:39
Taarabt first intercepts an imprecise pass from Milner in the center circle and is then pushed to the ground from behind by Firmino when trying to counterattack. It could also be yellow.
36
21:37
The goal should encourage the Portuguese. The goal could have a kind of “hello wake effect” as the Lisboners realize that they can keep up here too. In any case, the two goals needed before the game have been restored.
34
21:36
The VAR watched the whole scene again because Gonçalo Ramos was on the verge of offside. However, the pass came from Milner anyway, who deflected the ball to the striker in a duel with Diogo Gonçalves.
32
21:33
Tooor for SL Benfica, 1-1 by Gonçalo Ramos
Out of nowhere, the guests equalize! After the Reds lost possession in their own half on the right, Diogo Gonçalves and Darwin Núñez quickly switched, played a one-two and then the former sent Gonçalo Ramos, starting from the left half, into the box. The striker is completely free in front of Alisson Becker and humorlessly hits the leather top left into the net!
31
21:32
It becomes dangerous again after a Tsimikas corner, because Weigl does not clear the first post decisively with a head, Díaz brings the ball in front of the goal again with his head, where Jota also heads just over the bar.
29
21:30
Referee Serdar Gözübüyük also wants to play. Involuntarily, he intercepts a pass from Nicolás Otamendi in the middle of the Benfica half. He has to smile himself, but the Benfica player doesn’t find it that funny. He gets the marble back with a dropped ball.
27
21:28
It’s getting dangerous again in the guests’ penalty area because Luis Díaz is looking for a one-on-one against Grimaldo halfway to the right in front of the box, feints past him and then wants to hit the short corner from sixteen meters. Odisseas Vlachodimos dives and palms the half-high hard shot out of the danger area.
26
21:27
It could be a very quiet evening for Jürgen Klopp and his men. They have put Benfica in their place so far and with this lead they are taking an early step towards the semi-finals.
24
21:25
Ibrahima Konaté seems to feel comfortable in the Lisbon sixteen, and the ex-Leipzig’s early header in the first leg was the can opener for the Reds.
23
21:25
Suddenly the ball is also in the goal for the Reds! However, Darwin found himself offside after a quick transition from Everton’s pass before sinking the ball high into the short right corner from a tight angle.
21
21:22
Tooor for Liverpool FC, 1-0 through Ibrahima Konaté
Then it rings after a standard situation! Kostas Tsimikas shovels the marble very high twelve meters centrally in front of the goal, where Ibrahima Konaté, surrounded by three men, prevails and sinks the ball into the net with a bounce on the right! At least now it is a Herculean task for Benfica!
20
21:21
Luis Díaz fuels his way down the right flank to the baseline and then passes the five to Jota, who gets caught by Vlachodimos from close range, who then secures and grabs the second ball.
19
21:20
The standards of the LFC are still very harmless. So far, all free-kicks have either landed in the wall or have been cleared safely by a Benfica player in the penalty area.
18
21:19
Milner serves the free Tsimikas on the left, who puts the ball in on the strong right and crosses halfway up to the penalty spot from the half field. But his cross is too deep, so only the tall Belgian Vertonghen gets to the marble and clears it.
16
21:18
Odisseas Vlachodimos is now back and takes the goal kick. A goalkeeper’s head injury should really be out of the question, just remember Karius in the 2018 CL final.
14
21:17
At the other end, Otamendi and Gilberto disagree on a high ball to the left of the box. Jota will be the beneficiary of this action, looking for a quick one-two with Firmino and then putting the ball past Vlachodimos on the half-left of the box. But he can no longer reach the ball, instead he unhappily hits the keeper with his knee on the temple. The native of Stuttgart has to be treated.
13
21:15
Everton fires the warning shot! After an LFC free-kick, Benfica’s counterattack runs down the left, where the ball comes to Everton via Goncalves and Taarabt after a half-right in front of the box. This has space and pulls from twenty meters with the right. He aims for the upper left corner, but just misses it because the ball pulls outwards due to the spin of the right foot.
11
21:13
For the first time, Darwin gives a small taste of what he is capable of. Grimaldo sets him up with a nice through ball from the left down the center line towards the penalty area, where the striker dodges past Matip on the back line and then shoves the ball back to the five. But Konaté is there and clarifies.
9
21:10
The LFC has everything under control after just under ten minutes. They play forward in a controlled manner and don’t allow anything at all from the back.
7
21:09
The Liverpool back line has made the Portuguese offensive line look relatively old so far. Matip and Co have sidelined an offensive player three times – now Darwin gets it too, but he is wrongly called off.
6
21:07
After a longer relay of the ball by the LFC in front of the Benfica penalty area, several press shots occur in succession. In the end, however, Weigl got the ball before Jota, the Portuguese then stepped lightly on the foot of the German – Lisbon free-kick.
4
21:05
Like the Lisboners, the hosts are now trying to control. Konaté and Matip are looking for passing stations in midfield in front of their own penalty area, which is well delivered by the guests.
2
21:03
The eagles from Lisbon first groove in and let the leather circulate in their own ranks. After a first long ball from Otamendi in the direction of Goncalves, however, he is offside.
1
21:01
After a minute’s silence for the upcoming Hillsborough disaster and kneeling down against racism, referee Serdar Gözübüyük whistles for this second leg! The Reds live up to their name and are dressed all in red, with Benfica wearing the white jerseys.
20:57
The German legionnaire Julian Weigl is of course also present at Benfica. The ex-BVB player has now become the lynchpin in the Adler game. He pulls the strings in midfield and gets the strong sprinting offensive line rolling. A Jürgen Klopp also gets into raptures: “He connects the individual parts.” Whether he can lead his team to a sensation in Liverpool today remains to be seen – it’s about to start!
20:40
In the first leg, the Reds already showed their class. They go into this home game at Anfield with a two-goal cushion thanks to an attractive performance, but are well aware that this game has yet to be played at home. Prior to the press conference, Jürgen Klopp addressed the opponent with words of praise but also warning: “But now comes the bad news for Benfica: It’s Anfield. They’re not just playing against us. They’re playing against the whole crowd.” However, the successful German coach also knows that Lisbon had a reasonable route guide in front of the Reds’ goal in the first leg. A turnaround from Benfica would still be a big sensation today – in this stadium, against this team, with this coach.
20:21
For the so-called Águias (Eng. Eagles) from Lisbon, the last weekend was much more relaxed. While Liverpool were almost in contention for the championship, the Portuguese pulled off an easy 3-1 win over Portuguese league bottom Belenenses. The hottest share of the Lisboners caused a sensation again: Darwin Núñez. The 22-year-old striker netted a hat-trick and warmed up for the semifinals against the Reds. Benfica manager Nélson Veríssimo brings in a new man compared to the first leg: Diogo Gonçalves replaces Rafa Silva in attacking midfield.
20:09
While most are approaching the relaxed Easter holidays, Liverpool coach Klopp is not looking for eggs but for staff in the LFC’s weeks of truth. After the Reds fought for a 2-2 draw in the game of games against Manchester City last weekend, the important second leg against Benfica is already on the agenda today. The duel with the Citizens cost a few grains and at the weekend in the FA Cup it’s again against the permanent rival. That’s one of the reasons Klopp made seven changes today compared to the first leg: Matip, Gomez, Tsimikas, Henderson, Milner, Jota and Firmino are in place of van Dijk, Robertson, Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Thiago, Mané and Salah in the starting XI. Today’s starting eleven is still impressive because Klopp has a wide squad this season and has few injuries to complain about.
19:58
Welcome to the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals between Liverpool FC and Benfica Lisbon! The Reds won the first leg in Lisbon 3-1. Kick-off at Anfield is 9pm!