Liverpool vs Benfica

Liverpool will be looking to finish what they started in Portugal and convert a comfortable 3-1 first-leg advantage when they take on Benfica in the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at Anfield.

Coming into this encounter, Liverpool hit back twice to hold fellow Premier League title rivals Manchester City to a 2-2 draw at the Etihad, halting a run of five straight wins in all competitions. Keen to qualify for the Champions League semi-finals for the first time since lifting the crown in 2018/19, the ‘Reds’ will turn to their home form against Portuguese visitors for inspiration. Indeed, the Merseyside heavyweights are unbeaten in their last six home European games against Primeira Liga sides (W4, D2), last losing such fixture in 2005/06. Moreover, Liverpool have progressed from each of the 12 previous Champions League knock-out ties when winning the first leg, last suffering an aggregate defeat in such contests in 2001/02 to Bayer Leverkusen.

In the meantime, Benfica came from behind to beat Primeira Liga strugglers Belenenses 3-1 at the weekend, as head coach Nelson Verissimo had a rare opportunity to rest most of his first-team stars. However, the ‘Eagles’ will have to defy the odds and history to overturn a two-goal deficit at Anfield, especially considering they’ve won just one of their nine quarter-final away legs in UEFA competition in the 21st century (W1, D2, L6). Additionally, the record-time Portuguese champions have picked up just one victory across their last nine away matches in the Champions League (D3, L5), courtesy of a 1-0 triumph at Ajax in the previous knock-out round. Another win at Anfield would see Benfica win back-to-back Champions League away games for only the second time in the club’s history, last achieving that feat in September/October 2011.