Benfica and Liverpool are both in good shape in their Champions League quarter-final match after Liverpool won 3-1 in Lisbon on Tuesday.
Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane, and Luis Diaz scored for the Reds (April 5). Konate opened the scoring with a close-range header from a corner, and Mane doubled the lead from a Diaz assist 30 minutes into a one-sided first half. Mohamed Salah, Diaz, and Naby Keita missed great chances to score in the first 45 minutes.
Darwin Nunez scored five minutes after the break to put Benfica, which was cheered on by the full Estadio da Luz, back in the game. The 22-year-old French defender Konate completely missed the cross, allowing Nunez to score and put Benfica back in the game.
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A goal by Diaz, a former Porto player who has never lost to bitter rivals Benfica, ended a short-lived lead for the home side. Keita’s through ball set up Diaz, who has never failed to Benfica.
Jota still had a chance to make it 4-1 in extra time, but Odysseas Vlachodimos stopped them with his left leg in a one-on-one. The 27-year-old Greek made at least five crucial saves that kept Liverpool from getting a more significant win.
After the second goal, “We had a lot of chances to score more, but we couldn’t do that. We got sloppy and let them get back into the game, making it even more difficult for us.”
As one of their rivals, Luis Diaz got a good reception. A good goal for him and a two-goal lead make a big difference. This is how it works: There’s a chance we can get the job done.
Nunez, the top scorer in the Portuguese league, put Liverpool under a lot of pressure. He showed why he is one of the most sought-after young strikers in Europe. Nunez was always a threat, but Alisson Becker, the goalkeeper for Liverpool, kept his cool.
