Jürgen Klopp has taken another step forward with Liverpool in the race for four titles. Five days before the summit meeting for the English football championship at defending champions Manchester City, the Reds won 3-1 (2-0) in the quarter-final first leg of the Champions League at Benfica Lisbon. Team manager Klopp’s team, which has already won the League Cup, is in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
“The result is absolutely fine. They fought for their lives, we opened the door for them a bit,” said Klopp Prime video: “I’m happy with a lot of things, but we left them in the game.” Benfica “made a really good game”.
In the parallel game between Manchester City and Atletico Madrid, the Premier League club also prevailed. The Citizens won 1-0 against the Spaniards.
Ex-Leipziger Ibrahima Konate (17′), Sadio Mane (34′) and Luis Diaz (87′) scored the goals for the 2005 and 2019 Champions League winners. After a mistake by Konate, Darwin Nunez (49′) reduced the deficit. ). On Sunday, all of England will be watching the Premier League game in Manchester, where Liverpool are a point behind.
Robertson reacts coolly to projectiles
“It was a tough game, we were superior in the first half and could have scored a few more goals, then we wanted to keep the game close, but they scored a goal that shook the crowd and we got a little lax . The third goal was very important,” said Reds right-back Andrew Robertson after the game bt sports.
Lighters were thrown at the Scot during the game. “Maybe they’ll stop smoking now. But you should try not to throw things on the field because that can hurt people,” Robertson took it sportingly.
Portugal’s record champions with national player Julian Weigl, currently only third in the domestic league, are again threatened with elimination in the quarter-finals: Benfica have never reached the round of the last four in the premier class. Lisbon won its two titles in 1961 and 1962, when the competition was still called the European Champion Clubs’ Cup.
Konate helps Benfica to catch up
Klopp had changed his team six positions compared to the 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday. Also present was Mohamed Salah, who missed the first good chance to take the lead (11th). Six minutes later, Konate did better with a header from a Robertson corner. Mane extended the lead before the break.
Konate brought Benfica back into the game. After the goal, the hosts pushed for an equaliser, but Luis Diaz restored the old gap.
Benfica Lisbon – Liverpool FC: The data of the game
Benfica Lisbon: Odisseas Vlachodimos – Gilberto, Otamendi, Vertonghen, Grimaldo – Weigl, Taarabt (70th Meite) – Rafa, Everton (82nd Yaremchuk) – Ramos (86th Joao Mario), Darwin. – Coach: Verissimo
Liverpool FC: Alisson – Alexander-Arnold (89th Gomez), Konate, van Dijk, Robertson – Fabinho – Keita (89th Milner), Thiago (61st Henderson) – Salah (61st Diogo Jota), Mane (61st Roberto Firmino), Diaz. – Coach: Klopp
Referee: Jesus Gil Manzano (Spain)
Gates: 0-1 Konate (17′), 0-2 Mane (34′), 1-2 Nunez (49′), 1-3 Luis Diaz (87′)
Yellow cards: Taarabt (2) – Thiago
