Liverpool 3-3 Benfica(agg 6-4): a Firmino brace sees the Reds in UCL semi-final

Liverpool's path to the Champions League final has become clear following their last-eight aggregate win over Benfica.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

1' KICK-OFF! Who can win this match?

10' Nunez's pass stopped

12' CLOSE! Everton's shot wide out

19' Vlachodimos makes good save

20' GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Benfica (Konate)

23' OFFSIDE! Nunez's goal disallowed

26' Vlachodimos denied Diaz's shot

29' Firmino's header over the bar

31' GOAL! Liverpool 1-1 Benfica (Gonçalo Ramos)

38' Alex Grimaldo makes an important clearance

54' GOAL! Liverpool 2-1 Benfica (Firmino)

64' GOAL! Liverpool 3-1 Benfica (Firmino)

72' GOAL! Liverpool 3-2 Benfica (R. Yaremchuk)

81' GOAL! Liverpool 3-3 Benfica (D. Núñez)

90' OFFSIDE! Mane's goal disallowed

Match Reports

The Reds claimed a 6-4 aggregate win over Benfica in their quarter-final tie, with the second leg at Anfield finishing 3-3 on the night. A Ibrahima Konate header and a Roberto Firmino brace were enough for the Reds, with Goncalo Ramos, Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nunez on target for the visitors.

Jurgen Klopp’s side will now begin preparing for this weekend’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City. They themselves are through to the semi-finals after their drawing their second-leg against Atletico Madrid 0-0 at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium. City held a 1-0 lead going into the second-leg.

Thanks to Liverpool’s win over Benfica, they have now set up a semi-final against Villarreal. The La Liga outfit recorded a stunning 2-1 aggregate victory over Bayern Munich in their quarter-final.

The first leg of the semi-final will take place at Anfield on either Tuesday, April 26 or Wednesday, April 27. The second leg will then be played at the Estadio de la Ceramica on either Tuesday, May 3 or Wednesday, May 4.

The other semi-final will be between Real Madrid and City with those ties taking place the same week as Liverpool’s clashes against Villarreal. Real themselves needed extra time to record a 5-4 aggregate win over Chelsea in their quarter-final earlier this week.

Should Liverpool beat Villarreal over two legs, then they would face one of either Real Madrid or City in the final. The Champions League showpiece is pencilled in to take place at the Stade de France in Paris on May 28.

Line-ups

Liverpool XI: Milner, Henderson, Matip, Alisson, Firmino, Joe Gomez, Naby Keita, Tsimikas, Jota, Konate, L. Díaz

Subs: Thiago, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Salah, Van Dijk, Mane, Origi, Fabinho, Robertson, Kelleher, Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Elliott

Benfica XI: Vertonghen, Taarabt, Otamendi, O. Vlachodimos, Gilberto, Álex Grimaldo, Weigl, Diogo Gonçalves, Éverton, D. Núñez, Gonçalo Ramos

Subs: André Almeida, H. Seferović, Meite, Helton Leite, Mario, R. Yaremchuk, Lazaro, Radonjic, G.Dias, Pedro Álvaro, Morato, Paulo Bernardo