Kostas Tsimikas, Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz stood out as Liverpool played a 3-3 draw against Benfica at Anfield on Wednesday.
Jurgen Klopp named a heavily changed starting eleven, but Liverpool still found ways to dominate the proceedings, with Benfica threatening on the counter. The visitors looked like they would score the opener, but Liverpool broke the deadlock midway through the first half, with Ibrahima Konate heading in a pinpoint delivery from a Kostas Tsimikas corner.
Benfica thought they had equalised shortly after, but Darwin Nunez was offside. The Eagles finally had the goal their endeavour deserved through Goncalo Ramos, who was lucky to see the ball fall kindly to him whilst evading the offside trap to level things up. But Liverpool soon assumed control again, ending the first half strongly.
The second half started slowly, with chances coming few and far between, but Roberto Firmino got the two teams up from their slumber by scoring from close range to finish a scrappy move. Firmino was at hand to double Liverpool’s lead midway through the second half by converting Tsimikas’s indirect free-kick.
But just when it looked like Liverpool would cruise to another win, Benfica hit back with two quickfire goals from Roman Yaremchuk and Nunez to give their side faint hopes of a comeback. Nunez found the back of the net for the third time in the game’s dying embers, but he was denied by the offside flag again.
GET IN ✊?#UCL pic.twitter.com/s3nejRR4cA
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) April 13, 2022
In the end, Liverpool managed to hold on to their two-goal aggregate advantage to progress to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, where they will take on Bayern Munich’s conquerors, Villarreal. The Hard Tackle now runs the rule over Jurgen Klopp’s men following a hard-fought battle on Wednesday.
Alisson Becker: 6/10
Alisson could not have done much to keep out Goncalo Ramos, Roman Yaremchuk or Darwin Nunez, with all three finishes being top-notch. But the Brazilian goalkeeper made a top-class save late on to deny Nunez and stop the nerves from creeping into Liverpool’s gameplay.
Joe Gomez: 7/10
Gomez continues to feature at right-back whenever Trent Alexander-Arnold is unavailable or rested. And the English international was impressive again, carrying a significant threat in the final third while winning all six of his contested duels. But playing Yaremchuk onside for Benfica’s second goal was a blot in an otherwise solid performance.
Ibrahima Konate: 7/10
Konate opened the scoring, pushing Liverpool closer to a place in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, just as he did in the first leg. The youngster then defended diligently but could not track Ramos for Benfica’s first goal while playing Nunez onside for the third. Otherwise, he was solid at the heart of the Liverpool defence.
Joel Matip: 6/10
Matip was not quite at his best, as he struggled to cope with Nunez’s movement at times while failing to win a single duel. But the veteran defender facilitated efficient build-up plays from the back, barely misplacing a pass.
Kostas Tsimikas: 8/10
90 minutes played
2 Assists
86% Accurate Passes
103 Touches
100% Tackles Won
11 Recoveries
9 Ground Duels Won (75%)Today's ???? is none other than the man himself, the Greek Scouser Kostas Tsimikas ?? pic.twitter.com/Wdzhz97Z4s
— LFC Transfer Room (@LFCTransferRoom) April 13, 2022
Tsimikas has to consider himself unlucky to not play more because he keeps on producing game-changing displays every time he takes the field for Liverpool. The Greek full-back was no different on Wednesday, as he found Konate and Roberto Firmino with brilliant set-piece deliveries. And the only major negative was that he played Ramos onside for Benfica’s first. What an asset for Klopp.
Naby Keita: 7/10
Keita was the Player to Watch in our preview, and he produced another impressive performance. The Guinean midfielder constantly looked to push Liverpool forward while putting in the hard yards off the ball. He came close to scoring on two occasions, and completing 90 minutes was a big positive for him.
Jordan Henderson: 7/10
Henderson was solid at the base of the Liverpool midfield, asserting Liverpool’s control over the game. The Liverpool captain kept the play ticking while ensuring that Benfica remained quiet in the middle of the park. It is no coincidence that the visitors sprung to life after he went off.
James Milner: 6/10
Milner got a rare start as Klopp looked to rest some of his first-choice midfielders. But the veteran Englishman struggled to get to grips with the game’s pace and was not precise enough when he had possession. But Milner was unfortunate to see the ball deflect towards Ramos for Benfica’s opener.
Diogo Jota: 7/10
Jota did not enjoy himself out on the flanks as much as he does when playing through the middle. The Portuguese international did not get into the scoring positions as frequently as he does when starting as a striker. But he still made himself useful with some driving runs while providing the assist for Firmino’s first goal.
Roberto Firmino: 8/10
Four players have scored 20+ #UCL goals for Liverpool:
? Steven Gerrard
? Mohamed Salah
? Sadio Mané
? Roberto Firmino ?Stevie G and Klopp's iconic front three. ? pic.twitter.com/lvv48qUOEQ
— William Hill (@WilliamHill) April 13, 2022
Firmino has not necessarily enjoyed himself this season, but that was not the case on Wednesday, as he was here, there and everywhere. The Brazilian had two great chances to score in the first half, but it was not to be for him. Firmino then made amends with two goals after the break, producing two superb finishes to convert the passes by Jota and Tsimikas.
Luis Diaz: 8/10
Diaz was not actively involved inside the Benfica box and mustered just two shots on goal. But the Colombian international was a menace due to his ghosting movements which left the Benfica defenders in a daze. His directness adds a facet to Liverpool’s gameplay.
SUBSTITUTES
Mohamed Salah: 7/10
After replacing Jota, Salah tried to make things happen and created a couple of chances. He also came close to scoring with a hopeful long-range effort. But the spark is missing from his game, and he desperately needs to get his bearings.
Fabinho: 6/10
Fabinho was not quite at his dominating best after replacing Henderson at the base of the Liverpool midfield. The Brazilian international completed all but two of his attempted passes but could not cover the defence ably. He is another player who needs a reset.
Thiago Alcantara: 6/10
Thiago helped Liverpool continue dominating possession and completed 92 per cent of his attempted passes. He also put in the hard yards off the ball, winning two duels while making an interception.
Sadio Mane: 6/10
Mane was a bundle of energy in the game’s final quarter but did not see any chances falling his way.
Divock Origi: N/A
A late introduction, Origi hardly touched the ball in injury-time.
