Liverpool remain in the hunt 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.
Villarreal secured their last-four spot by overcoming Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: “I’m really happy because being in a semi-final is so special.
“We expect a couple of really difficult games. It will be a tough cookie but we are a tough cookie, so who cares?
“Villarreal deserved to get through. I know Bayern Munich don’t want to hear that.”
The semi-final brings Liverpool face-to-face with Villarreal boss Unai Emery, who has won the Europa League four times.
Three of those triumphs came at Sevilla, including a victory over Klopp’s Liverpool in the 2016 final, and the other with his current club.
Klopp added: “The manager is the king of the cup competitions, so they are experienced and a team full of desire and well organised with top-class players.”
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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 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.
“I made seven changes and that makes life not easy for the players,” added Klopp. “We lost concentration when we were 3-1 up and it looked like we were through.
“It was not exactly what we wanted but it is absolutely not important.
“If we played the best game of the season tonight, it wouldn’t have made it more likely to get to the final. We are through and that’s all that matters and I’m really happy.”
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.
Player of the match
Roberto FirminoRoberto Firmino
with an average of 7.72
Liverpool
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Squad number9Player nameRoberto Firmino
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Squad number23Player nameDíaz -
Squad number5Player nameKonaté
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Squad number20Player nameDiogo Jota
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Squad number11Player nameMohamed Salah -
Squad number21Player nameTsimikas
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Squad number6Player nameThiago Alcántara
-
Squad number3Player nameFabinho
-
Squad number10Player nameMané -
Squad number14Player nameHenderson -
Squad number7Player nameMilner -
Squad number8Player nameKeïta
-
Squad number12Player nameGomez -
Squad number27Player nameOrigi
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Squad number1Player nameAlisson
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Squad number32Player nameMatip
Benfica
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Squad number9Player nameNúñez
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Squad number20Player nameJoão Mário
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Squad number15Player nameYaremchuk
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Squad number88Player nameGonçalo Ramos
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Squad number49Player nameTaarabt
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Squad number17Player nameDiogo Gonçalves
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Squad number5Player nameVertonghen
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Squad number55Player namePaulo Bernardo
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Squad number7Player nameÉverton
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Squad number34Player nameAndré Almeida
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Squad number28Player nameWeigl
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Squad number31Player nameGil Dias
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Squad number3Player nameGrimaldo
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Squad number99Player nameVlachodimos
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Squad number30Player nameOtamendi
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Squad number2Player nameGilberto
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
- Attendance:
- 51,373
Live Text
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Match ends, Liverpool 3, Benfica 3.
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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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Ibrahima Konate is the fourth player to score in both legs of a Champions League quarter-final for Liverpool after Peter Crouch in 2006-07, Mohamed Salah in 2017-18 and Roberto Firmino in 2018-19Liverpool remain in the hunt 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.Man City keep cool in fiery encounter to reach semisThey 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.Villarreal secured their last-four spot by overcoming Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals. Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: “I’m really happy because being in a semi-final is so special.”We expect a couple of really difficult games. It will be a tough cookie but we are a tough cookie, so who cares?”Villarreal deserved to get through. I know Bayern Munich don’t want to hear that.”The semi-final brings Liverpool face-to-face with Villarreal boss Unai Emery, who has won the Europa League four times.Three of those triumphs came at Sevilla, including a victory over Klopp’s Liverpool in the 2016 final, and the other with his current club.Klopp added: “The manager is the king of the cup competitions, so they are experienced and a team full of desire and well organised with top-class players.”Reaction from Liverpool-Benfica & Atletico Madrid-Man CityWhere does Liverpool’s quadruple bid stand?All the best Liverpool content hereReds still in quadruple huntThe 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 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.”I made seven changes and that makes life not easy for the players,” added Klopp. “We lost concentration when we were 3-1 up and it looked like we were through.”It was not exactly what we wanted but it is absolutely not important.”If we played the best game of the season tonight, it wouldn’t have made it more likely to get to the final. We are through and that’s all that matters and I’m really happy.”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.Player of the matchRoberto FirminoRoberto Firminowith an average of 7.72LiverpoolSquad number9Player nameRoberto FirminoSquad number23Player nameDíazSquad number5Player nameKonatéSquad number20Player nameDiogo JotaSquad number11Player nameMohamed SalahSquad number21Player nameTsimikasSquad number6Player nameThiago AlcántaraSquad number3Player nameFabinhoSquad number10Player nameManéSquad number14Player nameHendersonSquad number7Player nameMilnerSquad number8Player nameKeïtaSquad number12Player nameGomezSquad number27Player nameOrigiSquad number1Player nameAlissonSquad number32Player nameMatipBenficaSquad number9Player nameNúñezSquad number20Player nameJoão MárioSquad number15Player nameYaremchukSquad number88Player nameGonçalo RamosSquad number49Player nameTaarabtSquad number17Player nameDiogo GonçalvesSquad number5Player nameVertonghenSquad number55Player namePaulo BernardoSquad number7Player nameÉvertonSquad number34Player nameAndré AlmeidaSquad number28Player nameWeiglSquad number31Player nameGil DiasSquad number3Player nameGrimaldoSquad number99Player nameVlachodimosSquad number30Player nameOtamendiSquad number2Player nameGilbertoLine-upsLiverpoolFormation 4-3-31Alisson12Gomez32Matip5Konaté21Tsimikas8Keïta14Henderson7Milner23Díaz9Firmino20Jota1Alisson12Gomez32Matip5Konaté21Tsimikas8Keïta14HendersonSubstituted forFabinhoat 58’minutes7MilnerSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 58’minutes23DíazSubstituted forManéat 66’minutes9FirminoSubstituted forOrigiat 90+1’minutes20JotaSubstituted forSalahat 57’minutesSubstitutes3Fabinho4van Dijk6Thiago Alcántara10Mané11Salah15Oxlade-Chamberlain17Jones26Robertson27Origi62Kelleher66Alexander-Arnold67ElliottBenficaFormation 4-2-3-199Vlachodimos2Junior30Otamendi5Vertonghen3Grimaldo49Taarabt28Weigl7Sousa Soares88Matias Ramos17Cupido Goncalves9Núñez99Vlachodimos2JuniorSubstituted forBastião Diasat 90+1’minutes30Otamendi5Vertonghen3Grimaldo49TaarabtSubstituted forJoão Márioat 66’minutes28Weigl7Sousa SoaresSubstituted forMagalhães de Almeidaat 90+1’minutes88Matias RamosSubstituted forGoncalves Bernardoat 78’minutes17Cupido GoncalvesSubstituted forYaremchukat 45’minutes9NúñezSubstitutes11Meité14Seferovic15Yaremchuk20João Mário22Lazaro23Radonjic31Bastião Dias34Magalhães de Almeida55Goncalves Bernardo77Aleixo Leite89Costa Álvaro91Rodrigues da SilvaReferee:Serdar GözübüyükAttendance:51,373Live TextMatch ends, Liverpool 3, Benfica 3.Second Half ends, Liverpool 3, Benfica 3.Offside, Benfica. Alejandro Grimaldo tries a through ball, but Darwin Núñez is caught offside.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.Divock Origi (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.Foul by Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica).Substitution, Benfica. André Almeida replaces Éverton.Substitution, Liverpool. Divock Origi replaces Roberto Firmino.Substitution, Benfica. Gil Dias replaces Gilberto.Offside, Liverpool. Mohamed Salah tries a through ball, but Sadio Mané is caught offside.Attempt missed. Thiago (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Jan Vertonghen.Attempt blocked. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.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.VAR Decision: Goal Liverpool 3-3 Benfica (João Mário).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.Attempt blocked. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.Substitution, Benfica. Paulo Bernardo replaces Gonçalo Ramos.Konstantinos Tsimikas (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.Foul by João Mário (Benfica).Surviving the cost of living crisis: How are people coping with having to make do with less?Can they face their fears? Celebrities take on challenges in sub-zero temperatures with Wim Hof