Benfica vs Liverpool LIVE: Champions League result, final score and reaction tonight
Relive all the action from the quarter-final first leg in Lisbon
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.
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.
Jurgen Klopp’s side had been coasting at half-time in the Estadio da Luz after Sadio Mane’s goal doubled the advantage given to them by their centre-back’s header but having squandered numerous chances, Konate’s legs got tangled as he tried to make a clearance early in the second half and Darwin Nunez capitalised.
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.
Victory saw Liverpool, who had lost on their last three visits here, equal a club record of five successive away victories in Europe.
Relive all the action live below:
GOAL! Benfica 0 - 2 Liverpool (Mane, 34’)⚽️
34 mins: Ooof! Great goal. Adel Taarabt gives the ball away in the middle of the pitch and Trent Alexander-Arnold floats a diagonal pass over to the left side of the box. Luis Diaz has made a great counter-attacking run in behind the defence and meets the dropping ball with a header across the penalty area to Sadio Mane who is left with the easiest of tap ins to double Liverpool’s lead.
Benfica 0 - 1 Liverpool
32 mins: Benfica are having a bit of a resurgence here. They win a corner and should do better from it. The delivery is very good, right into the six-yard area and a comfortable height. Nicolas Otamendi manages to squeeze in front of Sadio Mane but he misses his attempted header and Alisson watches the ball bounces out of play.
Benfica 0 - 1 Liverpool
29 mins: Now then. Ramos gets the ball on the left side and gets fouled by Fabinho after some fancy footwork shifts the ball away from the Liverpool midfielder. Fabinho escapes a booking but Benfica have the chance to whip the ball into the box.
Alejandro Grimaldo takes the free kick but a confident Alisson comes flying off his line and plucks it out of the air.
Benfica 0 - 1 Liverpool
26 mins: Nunez tries to get Benfica forward with a counter-attack and slides a pass to Goncalo Ramos. He feeds it inside but Thiago intercepts and slots it over to Robertson on the left wing. His first cross gets blocked but the ball bounces kindly for the left-back and he has another go. He lifts it towards the back post where Salah is free but the ball just drops over the top of his head and rolls to safety for the home side.
Benfica 0 - 1 Liverpool
23 mins: Save! Another great move from Liverpool - kickstarted in midfield through Fabinho and Thiago - almost gives them a second. Thiago feeds the ball up to Keita after linking up with Fabinho to push the visitors into Benfica’s half. Keita then slots a perfect through ball into the box as Diaz makes a diagonal run inside from the left. He collects the ball and tries to chip it over the goalkeeper but Vlachodimos gets a hand to it and somehow keeps it out!
Benfica 0 - 1 Liverpool
20 mins: Chance! Brilliant hold-up play from Sadio Mane who holds off the Benfica centre-backs and carries the ball to the byline. He lifts it back into the middle of the box where Naby Keita is clear. He’s got a free header but takes his eyes off the ball and miscues the effort, only managing to knock is softly into the ground allowing Benfica to clear their lines.
GOAL! Benfica 0 - 1 Liverpool (Konate, 17’)⚽️
17 mins: Not long at all it seems! The visitors win a corner that Andy Robertson swings into the box from the left-hand corner. Ibrahima Konate makes a free run and leaps in front of Everton to win the ball in the air. He gets a good chunk of the ball and nods his headed effort into the ground where it bounces up and finishes in the far corner!
Benfica 0 - 0 Liverpool
16 mins: Naby Keita has another shot blocked with Jan Vertonghen getting in his way this time. The ball bounces out to Thiago Alcantara who belts one from range and puts it over the crossbar. How long can Benfica keep Liverpool out under this pressure?
Benfica 0 - 0 Liverpool
14 mins: Save! Liverpool are stepping it up now. Salah is played into space on the right wing and decides to cut inside. He lays the ball off to Naby Keita in the box and the midfielder shoots forcing a decent save out of Vlachodimos. The ball rebounds out to Alexander-Arnold who attempts to pick out Sadio Mane at the far post but his pass doesn’t get past the goalkeeper who does well to cling onto it.
Benfica 0 - 0 Liverpool
12 mins: Liverpool win the first corner of the game after a toe-poked effort from Salah hits the goalkeeper and deflects wide of the right-hand past. Trent Alexander-Arnold swings the set piece into the middle - aiming for Virgil van Dijk - but Benfica deal with it well and complete the clearance without too much trouble.
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