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Match ends, Liverpool 3, Benfica 3.
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Liverpool remain on course for an historic quadruple after a thrilling draw with Benfica secured a two-legged Champions League semi-final against Villarreal.
Having established a 3-1 lead in Lisbon, Liverpool extended their advantage with Ibrahima Konate’s powerful 21st-minute header from a Kostas Tsimikas corner.
Benfica equalised through Goncalo Ramos’ excellent turn and finish, before Roberto Firmino’s two second-half goals – a tap-in followed by a volley – in front of the Kop looked to have put the Reds in control.
But after Roman Yaremchuk broke through to beat Alisson and make it 3-2 on the night, Darwin Nunez scored a late equaliser.
Nunez was then denied by Alisson as Benfica finished strongly but Liverpool held out to advance 6-4 on aggregate.
They now host Villarreal – the club they beat in the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2016 – on 27 April before travelling to Spain for the second leg on 4 May.
Reds still in quadruple hunt
The games are coming thick and fast for Liverpool at the business end of the campaign, with a huge FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City up next on Saturday – the second meeting between the Premier League’s top two in a week.
They head for Wembley knowing they are one round away from a third Champions League final in five seasons under Jurgen Klopp.
The Liverpool boss made seven changes to the side that started the first leg in Portugal last week, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane among those on the bench.
There was a return for James Milner who, at the age of 36, became the oldest Englishman to start a Champions League match since 37-year-old David Beckham did so for Paris St-Germain in 2012-13.
The Reds were made to work hard for their place in the semi-finals as Benfica came out fighting but the damage was done in the first leg.
After Saturday, Liverpool – who trail leaders Manchester City by a single point – have a chance to return to the top of the Premier League, for 24 hours at least, when they host Manchester United in the Premier League the following Tuesday.
It will require a monumental effort for Liverpool, who won the Carabao Cup in February, to finish the season with four trophies and they will certainly have to defend better than they did in this game.
But with just a few weeks of the season left, they remain in the hunt for what would be an incredible feat.
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Benfica
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Squad number99Player nameVlachodimos
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Squad number2Player nameGilberto
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Squad number30Player nameOtamendi
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Squad number5Player nameVertonghen
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Squad number3Player nameGrimaldo
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Squad number49Player nameTaarabt
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Squad number28Player nameWeigl
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Squad number7Player nameÉverton
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Squad number88Player nameGonçalo Ramos
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Squad number17Player nameDiogo Gonçalves
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Squad number9Player nameNúñez
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Squad number15Player nameYaremchuk
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Squad number20Player nameJoão Mário
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Squad number31Player nameGil Dias
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Squad number34Player nameAndré Almeida
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Squad number55Player namePaulo Bernardo
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 12Gomez
- 32Matip
- 5Konaté
- 21Tsimikas
- 8Keïta
- 14HendersonSubstituted forFabinhoat 58′minutes
- 7MilnerSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 58′minutes
- 23DíazSubstituted forManéat 66′minutes
- 9FirminoSubstituted forOrigiat 90+1′minutes
- 20JotaSubstituted forSalahat 57′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Fabinho
- 4van Dijk
- 6Thiago Alcántara
- 10Mané
- 11Salah
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 17Jones
- 26Robertson
- 27Origi
- 62Kelleher
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 67Elliott
Benfica
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 99Vlachodimos
- 2JuniorSubstituted forBastião Diasat 90+1′minutes
- 30Otamendi
- 5Vertonghen
- 3Grimaldo
- 49TaarabtSubstituted forJoão Márioat 66′minutes
- 28Weigl
- 7Sousa SoaresSubstituted forMagalhães de Almeidaat 90+1′minutes
- 88Matias RamosSubstituted forGoncalves Bernardoat 78′minutes
- 17Cupido GoncalvesSubstituted forYaremchukat 45′minutes
- 9Núñez
Substitutes
- 11Meité
- 14Seferovic
- 15Yaremchuk
- 20João Mário
- 22Lazaro
- 23Radonjic
- 31Bastião Dias
- 34Magalhães de Almeida
- 55Goncalves Bernardo
- 77Aleixo Leite
- 89Costa Álvaro
- 91Rodrigues da Silva
- Referee:
- Serdar Gözübüyük
Live Text
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Second Half ends, Liverpool 3, Benfica 3.
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Offside, Benfica. Alejandro Grimaldo tries a through ball, but Darwin Núñez is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Konstantinos Tsimikas with a cross.
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Divock Origi (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Foul by Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica).
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Substitution, Benfica. André Almeida replaces Éverton.
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Substitution, Liverpool. Divock Origi replaces Roberto Firmino.
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Substitution, Benfica. Gil Dias replaces Gilberto.
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Offside, Liverpool. Mohamed Salah tries a through ball, but Sadio Mané is caught offside.
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Attempt missed. Thiago (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
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Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Jan Vertonghen.
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Attempt blocked. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.
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Attempt saved. Darwin Núñez (Benfica) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Paulo Bernardo with a cross.
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VAR Decision: Goal Liverpool 3-3 Benfica (João Mário).
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Goal! Liverpool 3, Benfica 3. Darwin Núñez (Benfica) right footed shot from the centre of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by João Mário.
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Attempt blocked. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.
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Substitution, Benfica. Paulo Bernardo replaces Gonçalo Ramos.
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Konstantinos Tsimikas (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by João Mário (Benfica).
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