Liverpool eventually advanced to another Champions League semi-final, but Benfica players who gathered in front of their supporters were recognized. Portuguese football is not what it used to be and as such, Anfield’s draw is the highlight of his career.
As Benfica’s white jerseys danced at Anfield Road End, Liverpool players were already in the locker room and their feelings may be mixed. As Jordan Henderson said immediately afterwards, “There are things we can improve.”
This is true after another night of insecurity in the defense of the team of Jurgen Klopp. What will worry them now is whether the problems that are constantly appearing in this area at the end of winter are an inconvenience – itching to scratch – or something that really threatens to derail them between now and the end of the season.
Of course, the inconvenient evidence is growing.
Liverpool secure a place in the Champions League semi-finals on Wednesday after their clash with Benfica
Jurgen Klopp’s team drew 3-3 with Benfica on Wednesday night to reach the final four 6-4 overall.
Against Manchester City in the Premier League at the weekend, Liverpool’s defensive line – their offside trap – routinely failed them. He previously did so in the Carabao Cup final against Chelsea and in league matches against West Ham and Brighton.
Liverpool went through these three games unscathed. However, they did not do it in the City, nor here. The sight of opposition players running free like running rabbits through Liverpool’s high defensive line has become remarkably familiar.
Klopp said in a televised interview after the match that the issue was “absolutely not important”, but it is difficult to agree.
Benfica actually scored the ball in Liverpool five times here. Twice they were denied close offside calls. So three goals were counted. Not enough to separate Liverpool from their favorite race, but certainly enough to encourage City before the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley on Saturday and really Villarreal before they meet Liverpool in the last four of the Champions League.
Defender Ibrahima Konate found the back of the net in the 21st minute of the match to see Liverpool take the lead
However, Gonzalo Ramos reacted quickly and gave Benfica an equalizer in the 32nd minute to equalize.
Firmino came out with a shot after the break and added two goals to Liverpool’s result to end the match for Liverpool
The way Benfica has scored has been familiar to anyone who has watched Liverpool lately. Some teams struggle with standard pieces, others with football played around and away from them. For Klopp players, these are balls played through them or over the top four.
MATCH FACTS
Liverpool XI start: Alison; Gomez, Matip, Konate, Tsimikas; Henderson, Milner, Keita; Hota, Firmino, Diaz.
Substitutes: Keleher, Fabinho, Van Dyke, Tiago, Manet, Salah, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jones, Robertson, Origgi, Alexander-Arnold, Elliott.
Benfica start XI: Vladhodimos; Gilberto, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Grimaldo; Weigl, Taarabt; Everton, Ramos, Goncalves, Nunes.
Substitutes: Leyte, Meite, Seferovic, Yaremchuk, Mario, Lazaro, Radonic, Diaz, Almeida, Bernardo, Alvaro, Morato.
Here, when Klopp made changes to his team, it was a different back line than the one he fought in City. One of the holding midfielders was also different. However, the way they played was familiar. This never threatened to make them lose this tie, but it embarrassed them a little towards the end.
In the beginning, Liverpool dominated. The hunger and energy of Klopp’s players was admirable. Much of the hard work has been done since winning the first game last week 3-1 in Lisbon, but you wouldn’t understand it.
Ibrahima Conate led Liverpool in the 21st minute in almost the same way as last week in Portugal. A corner to the far post was aimed by the defender’s head.
There were other chances. Luis Diaz, once Benfica’s rival Porto, was denied by goalkeeper Odysseus Vlahodimos and then directed Roberto Firmino for a header that was deflected.
But then a goal out of nothing for Benfica and that turned out to be significant in terms of what was to come later, as Gonzalo Ramos ran away to score in front of the Cop.
At halftime, Liverpool were still the better team. They enjoyed the territory and the chances. And when Firmino scored twice in a quick succession, Liverpool’s semi-final position was secure. Both were weak goals from Benfica’s point of view, but Firmino finished them calmly and with clean technique.
Nabi Keita’s pass to Diaz in the 55th minute was not controlled and goalkeeper Vlahodimos had to collect the ball. But when he spilled it and Jan Vertonghen cut it wild, the door opened. Diogo Jota’s shot on the goal was quickly delivered when the ball fell and would pass harmlessly through the door. But Firmino had perfectly anticipated the corners and was right on the side as he moved forward toward a seven-yard side leg.
Diaz has been the best player on his team so far. His run was strong and direct, but Firmino was the one who came to the fore here, shooting his second pass with a volley after a direct free kick by Costas Tsmikas, which the Benfica defense allowed him in 25 minutes to go.
Benfica’s Roman Yaremchuk would not have allowed Liverpool to get away so easily – he scored his country’s second goal of the match
Darwin Nunes scored Benfica’s third and final goal of the evening, but was also denied two goals as he was in ambush
Did Liverpool stop for a moment? perhaps. They led 6-2 in a draw. But Benfica broke their offside trap twice in eight minutes – Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nunes as the top scorers – to change the whole mood tonight and if Alison was not saved low on her post by Nunes, then Liverpool might have been left to takes care of more than psychological damage from the end.
Liverpool could also score more goals. They were the better team. But perhaps this only serves to increase, not decrease, the feeling of anxiety.
Klopp then reduced his team’s problems to an unknown four. But this will really only be washed away if it is a one-off. And it wasn’t.
Experience the action from Sportsmail’s live blog for the rematch of the Champions League quarter-finals between Liverpool and Benfica.
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