Liverpool vs Benfica, prediction & line up. With one foot already firmly in the semi-finals of the Champions League, Liverpool invite Benfica to Anfield for the second leg of their quarter-last tie on Wednesday night.
Jurgen Klopp’s side asserted a prevailing 3-1 success in the principal leg at thalreade Estadio da Luz and are planning to set up a conflict with Villarreal in the last four.
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Large numbers of the neutrals checking out watch the principal leg at the Estadio da Luz would have done as such to monitor much-desired Benfica striker Darwin Nunez, who tracked down the rear of the net on the evening, yet it was pointless in contrast with Liverpool’s control the week before.
Nunez exploited a protective slip by from Ibrahima Konate to keep Benfica alive in the tie, however the Frenchman had previously struck for Liverpool by that point close by Sadio Mane, and Luis Diaz denoted his re-visitation of Portuguese turf with an objective before apparently being designated by a support tossed from the group for his inconveniences.
Liverpool’s quest for an uncommon fourfold is still particularly alive notwithstanding dropping focuses in an activity loaded 2-2 attract with Manchester City Sunday’s Premier League conflict, implying that the Reds are currently depending on the bosses to drop focuses assuming they are to get back to the highest point.
There is likewise the little matter of a FA Cup semi-last against Pep Guardiola’s men to come for Liverpool, whose five-game dominating disagreement all rivalries reached a conclusion at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, and their latest Champions League conflict at Anfield finished in that 1-0 most recent 16 second leg misfortune to Inter Milan.
It has been a long time since Liverpool were last wiped out from the Champions League knockout stages subsequent to winning in the primary leg – advancing from 12 such ties since – and keeping in mind that Reds fans won’t lose track of the main issue at hand, their 1978 and 1984 victories in the opposition came after they killed Benfica in a past round with a couple of triumphs.
Endeavoring to topple a two-objective shortage before the Kop is a very difficult task for Benfica and Nelson Verissimo, who will absolutely plan to establish a decent connection in the last a long time of the time before apparently moving to one side for the approaching Roger Schmidt.
Nunez’s strike has basically provided the Portuguese outfit with a slight good omen for the excursion to Merseyside, and the sought after Uruguayan was the superstar at the end of the week – scoring each of the three of his side’s objectives in a 3-1 Primeira Liga accomplishment over Belenenses to take his count for the season in all rivalries to 31 strikes.
The chances might be stacked against Benfica heading into Tuesday’s down, however they can hold the particular distinction of being only one of different sides who have beaten Liverpool by something like two objectives in an European knockout game at Anfield – winning 2-0 in the last-16 of every 2005-06.
Be that as it may, a time of inconsistent away structure in the Champions League has seen Benfica win only two of their last 12 games from home in the opposition including qualifiers, despite the fact that they have figured out how to keep five clean sheets in six Champions League games out and about this term – the anomaly coming when they sent five to Bayern Munich.
Liverpool’s 3-1 triumph in the primary leg implies that the different sides are as yet sitting tight for their first serious draw against each other, with the Reds winning seven of the 11 gatherings while Benfica have indented four, and the Merseyside outfit went out of control in a 4-1 triumph during the latest fight at Anfield in the 2009-10 Europa League.
In spite of their persistent time of installations, Jurgen Klopp is working with a completely fit crew as of now, with the head injury that Fabinho supported in the main leg not genuine enough to run him out of conflict against Man City.
Takumi Minamino, Harvey Elliott, Divock Origi and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain were completely avoided with regards to the crew for Sunday in the midst of Klopp’s abundance of choices, and Sadio Mane and Diogo Jota would miss the main leg of the semi-last assuming they are reserved here.
With the two players additionally including from the off – and scoring – at the Etihad, Klopp might choose to bring Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz back into the XI close by Mohamed Salah, who needs another objective to surpass Steven Gerrard as Liverpool’s record goalscorer at Anfield in the Champions League with 15.
Benfica are additionally working with most of their enormous hitters notwithstanding cruciate tendon casualty Lucas Verissimo, who stays out of dispute for the long haul close by striker Rodrigo Pinho, and Rafa Silva.
The Benfica manager will likewise have Jan Vertonghen back available to him following a homegrown boycott, and the ex-Tottenham Hotspur man ought to take his legitimate spot in protection close by Nicolas Otamendi.
Subsequent to giving rests to a few of his laid out players at the end of the week, Verissimo ought to review any semblance of Gilberto, Alex Grimaldo, Julian Weigl and Goncalo Ramos to the primary XI at Anfield.
Liverpool conceivable line up:
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Konate, Van Dijk, Robertson; Keita, Fabinho, Jones; Salah, Firmino, Diaz
Benfica conceivable line up:
Vlachodimos; Gilberto, Vertonghen, Otamendi, Grimaldo; Goncalves, Weigl, Taarabt, Everton; Ramos, Nunez
Liverpool vs Benfica
Over 1.5 Goals
Away Over 3.5 Corner Kicks
