Kick-off: 2000, 13/04/2022
Stadium: Anfield
TV: BT Sport
Liverpool’s dominant first-leg performance in the Estadio da Luz means Jurgen Klopp’s side have one foot in the semi-finals.
Benfica are a massive 26.00 to progress to the last four, where Villarreal await after their surprise victory over German champions Bayern Munich.
January signing Luis Diaz, signed from Benfica’s rivals Porto, returned to haunt the Portuguese giants with a starring role for the Reds as he netted a late third to put Liverpool in full control of the tie.
Diaz to find the net once more at Anfield is tempting again at 13/8 and that is our first Liverpool vs Benfica prediction.
Liverpool Odds
Liverpool’s quest for a seventh European Cup success – which would draw them level with AC Milan and behind only Real Madrid in terms of overall titles – has been plain sailing.
The Reds cruised through their group with a perfect record before battling past Inter Milan in the last 16.
But the Italians’ performance in the second leg at Anfield ought to at least give Benfica some hope of overhauling their 3-1 deficit.
Simone Inzaghi’s side trailed 2-0 from the first leg but won the second 1-0 and could have caused Klopp’s men more problems had Alexis Sanchez not been sent off two minutes after their goal.
Klopp is not taking their progression for granted and said: “The game was slightly more open than we wished but in the end we scored and I think everyone in the room would agree we could have scored more goals and should have.
“We were two goals up at half-time and we knew it was not easy. Benfica really wanted to go for it. Now they come to Anfield and we have to use that.”
Benfica will head to Anfield with nothing to lose and, looking at the Liverpool vs Benfica odds, we fancy the home side to win the second leg with both teams to score at 2.40.
Benfica Odds
Benfica are in the last eight for the first time in six seasons but have lost their previous four quarter-final ties, last going beyond this stage in 1990 when they were beaten by AC Milan in the final in Vienna.
All eyes will be on Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez, who followed up his strike in the first leg with a hat-trick in the 3-1 league win at home to Belenenses on Saturday which took his goal tally for the season to an impressive 29 in all competitions.
The 22-year-old continues to be linked with a move to Europe’s top clubs – including a number of Premier League sides – and will want to seize his chance to impress on the biggest stage.
His goal fired Benfica past Erik ten Hag’s Ajax in the last 16, with an impressive victory in Amsterdam underlining Benfica’s quality despite their underdog status.
Nunez will be the man to watch again for Liverpool and can open the scoring at 7/1 to put the pressure on the hosts as we complete our Liverpool vs Benfica betting tips.
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