{"id":25727,"date":"2022-04-05T17:20:00","date_gmt":"2022-04-05T21:20:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25727"},"modified":"2022-04-06T12:23:15","modified_gmt":"2022-04-06T16:23:15","slug":"liverpool-secure-3-1-first-leg-advantage-against-benfica","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/irishexaminerusa.com\/wp\/?p=25727","title":{"rendered":"Liverpool Secure 3-1 First Leg Advantage Against Benfica"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Luis Diaz, right, scores Liverpool\u2019s third goal (PA Wire\/PA Images)<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Winger Luis Diaz marked his return to Portugal with the crucial late goal which gave Liverpool a 3-1 lead over Benfica to take back to Anfield for their Champions League quarter-final second leg.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The former Porto star, signed in January, was booed relentlessly but he responded perfectly in the 87th minute to spare the blushes of Ibrahima Konate, whose mistake just over half an hour after scoring his first goal for the club had gifted the hosts a goal they had barely deserved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jurgen Klopp\u2019s side had been coasting at half-time in the Estadio da Luz after Sadio Mane\u2019s goal doubled the advantage given to them by their center-back\u2019s header but having squandered numerous chances, Konate\u2019s legs got tangled as he tried to make a clearance early in the second half and Darwin Nunez capitalized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was a goal which significantly changed the game for a long period, as Benfica suddenly looked the better side with Liverpool completely out of sorts, but Diaz had the final word to make the return look slightly more comfortable than it had done.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Victory saw Liverpool, who had lost on their last three visits here, equal a club record of five successive away victories in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The omens had not been great for Benfica, third in Portugal\u2019s Primeira Liga 15 points behind leaders Porto \u2013 whom Liverpool had hammered 5-1 and 2-0 in the group stages this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of the six changes Klopp made, the best one was bringing right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold in after almost three weeks out with a hamstring injury.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His pass for Diaz to head into Mane\u2019s path for the second goal was a thing of wonder, while the one he delivered for a strangely off-color Mohamed Salah to race onto but shoot straight at goalkeeper Odisseas Vlachodimos was almost as good.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It was the first time Klopp had started the midfield trio of Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita, with the latter impressing in attacking areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the opening 45 minutes the midfielder almost operated as a fourth forward, joining the attack to have four shots of his own before the break to underline the visitors\u2019 dominance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That they only had a two-goal lead to their name was nothing short of criminal considering the opportunities which fell to Keita, Diaz, Salah \u2013 three times \u2013 and Alexander-Arnold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Konate eventually made the crucial 17th-minute breakthrough when Diaz won a corner which Andy Robertson swung to the far post, where the defender easily out-jumped Everton to beat the goalkeeper with a downward header.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But better was still to come as Alexander-Arnold\u2019s crossfield ball was laid on a plate for Diaz to nod into Mane\u2019s path and the Senegal international could not miss from close range, going past Steven Gerrard\u2019s total of 22 Champions League goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Half-time brought another club record as Liverpool went 19 matches without conceding a first-half goal, although they had barely been troubled with Everton coming closest with a shot into the side-netting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Four minutes into the second half that all changed after Konate\u2019s calamity trying to deal with Rafa Silva\u2019s low cross.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The goal altered the mood in the stadium and the momentum on the pitch and Klopp\u2019s triple change of Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Jordan Henderson for Mane, Salah and Thiago attempted to restore control.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Further Konate misjudgments caused more problems with Alisson Becker first having to parry Everton\u2019s low shot and then, after the defender went chasing a ball he could never win, Nunez had a penalty claim rejected after tumbling under Virgil Van Dijk\u2019s challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The pressure seemed to be getting to even the best, with Van Dijk\u2019s air-kick in the center-circle a brief moment of concern while Alisson also duffed a couple of clearances.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But just when it looked like frustration would get the better of them, Keita\u2019s perfect through-ball allowed Diaz to round the goalkeeper and slot home an angled shot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On the last two occasions the teams met in the quarter-finals of this competition, in 1978 and 1984, Liverpool went on to lift the trophy and Diaz\u2019s goal put them well on their way to the last four this time.<\/p>\n

Share this:<\/h3>