Liverpool down Benfica 3-1 to take firm grip on tie

Liverpool took a firm grip of their Champions League tie with Benfica as goals from Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz earned them a 3-1 victory in Lisbon in their quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Konate opened the scoring with a close-range header from a corner and Mane extended Liverpool’s lead from a Diaz assist 30 minutes into what was an one-sided first half, with Mohamed Salah, Diaz and Naby Keita all passing up great scoring chances.

Yet five minutes after the break, 22-year-old French defender Konate completely missed a cross and allowed in-form striker Darwin Nunez to score and put Benfica, roared on by a sold-out Estadio da Luz, back into the game.

The hosts gained in confidence and briefly took charge but former Porto winger Diaz, who never lost a match against their bitter rivals Benfica, scored on the counter-attack after a Keita through ball.

Diogo Jota still had a chance to extend Liverpool’s lead further in added time but Benfica keeper Odysseas Vlachodimos denied them a fourth with his left leg in a one-on-one.

The 27-year-old Greek was responsible for at least five important saves that denied Liverpool a bigger win.

via Reuters