Liverpool’s quadruple hunt continues with progression into semi-final of Champions League despite shaky second leg against Benfica

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool continued their hunt for an unprecedented quadruple, progressing into the Champions League semi-finals with a 6-4 aggregate win over S.L. Benfica despite a nervy second leg which ended 3-3 at Anfield.

Winning the Carabao Cup already this year, the Reds have an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City to come this weekend and are also in a battle with the Citizens for the Premier League title.

Heading into their second leg against Portuguese side Benfica, Klopp’s side held a 3-1 lead and by the end of the action-packed 90 minutes, it is a good job that they did as that two-goal advantage saw them through to the last four, setting up a double-header against Spaniards Villareal.

In the first of many disallowed goals on the night, Diogo Jota saw a header ruled out early on for a push on his marker in the Benfica box while Nelson Verissimo’s men showed defensive frailties when goalkeeper Odisseas Vlachodimos flapped at Luis Diaz’s low cross.

As he had done in last week’s away leg, Ibrahima Konate headed home the opener, while last week’s Benfica goalscorer Darwin Nunez was denied an instant response at the other end by the offside flag.

Diaz and Roberto Firmino both went close for the hosts in front of an atmospheric away end before Goncalo Ramos scored in front of the Kop at the other end to send the travelling supporters wild.

The equaliser had to be confirmed by VAR, not the last time that would be said, with the ball falling to Ramos in what looked to be an offside position until it was discovered that Liverpool’s James Milner had got the last touch on the ball to bring the forward back into play.

Naby Keita fired over for the hosts before Alejandro Grimaldo made a superb block with Diaz ready to tap into an empty net from Firmino’s ball across the area.

1-1 at the break, and after a quiet start to the second half, Liverpool pounced on some terrible defending to nudge ahead on 55 minutes. Firmino the scorer after Jota had skewed a shot following errors from both Vlachodimos and Ex-Tottenham Hotspur defender Jan Vertonghen.

Credit – Stephen Gormley (Red Eye Photo Agency)

Brazilian Firmino added a third ten minutes later, UEFA’s eventual Man of the Match Kostas Tsimikas curling an inch-perfect free-kick into the box which the striker couldn’t miss when he connected with it.

From there on though, Klopp’s side became a shell of what we have all come to know them as. There were attacks forward from the Reds, but it was the Eagles from Portugal who finished stronger without a doubt.

On as a half-time substitute, Roman Yaremchuk rounded Alisson to pull one back with little under 20 minutes remaining though VAR had to intervene after the offside flag had been initially raised.

Firmino chased his hat-trick with a shot that was blocked, though Benfica striker Nunez was the next to get on the scoresheet, as he had done at the Estadio de Luz in the first leg.

Having seen one ruled out in the first half, the Uruguayan again dinked over Alisson and saw the offside flag go up with eight minutes remaining but this time, VAR would be the saviour for him and, again, gave the goal.

Now level on the night, the visitors went straight on the attack from the restart and will consider themselves unlucky not to have added another with Nunez’s volley at goal. Only Alisson’s fine save down to his right kept it out, and that felt a huge moment in the context of the tie.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Verissimo’s team had yet another one ruled out for offside, VAR not changing that decision, but by then the tie was won by Liverpool.

The Reds face Spaniards Villarreal in the last four, and their quadruple hunt rolls on.

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