Football

Liverpool Qualify For Semi-Finals After Surviving a Late Benfica Scare in the UEFA Champions League 2021-2022

Liverpool Qualify For Semi-Finals: To advance to the UEFA Champions League semifinals, Liverpool didn’t need to use its best players. Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp decided to rest Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Klopp  also saw his substitutes play out a thrilling 3-3 draw with Benfica in the second leg. In the quarterfinals on Wednesday, they also defeated them 6-4 on aggregate. In the 32nd minute, Gonçalo Ramos tied the game at 1-1. Keeping Benfica in the game for the most unlikely of chances, but Liverpool never seemed like losing its large lead. However, substitutes Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nez scored goals in the 73rd and 82nd minutes for the visitors, respectively. Liverpool was on set to win the competition for the eighth time in their history. Then there’s the record-breaking quadruple of trophies this season.

After building a dominating lead in Lisbon last week, Jurgen Klopp was able to rotate heavily. It should allow Liverpool to have a full-strength team in Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal against Manchester City. Also, Manchester City did not have such a privileged situation. Atletico Madrid won it in the Spanish capital, with a 0-0 tie sealing a 1-0 aggregate victory. In the semifinals, Manchester City will meet Real Madrid.

Liverpool is also in the last four of the European Cup or Champions League for the 12th time. They tied Manchester United for the most wins by an English team, and it was their first since the last of their six titles in 2019. It felt certain even before Konaté leaped to his highest height. Kostas Tsimikas blasted a corner into the bottom corner with a header. Similarly, he scored his first goal for Liverpool in the UEFA Champions League in Lisbon.

Liverpool Qualify For Semi-Finals After Surviving a Late Benfica Scare in the UEFA Champions League 2021-2022

Liverpool Qualify For Semi-Finals: Gonçalo Ramos

Liverpool Qualify For Semi-Finals: The ball ricocheted to Gonçalo Ramos after a tackle by Liverpool midfielder James Milner, giving the 20-year-old attacker a lucky goal. But his finish from the edge of the area, which flew past Alisson, was emphatic. Considering the acquisitions of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino is no longer Liverpool’s first choice. However, in the team’s future games. He staked his claim to a starting place and a 10-minute double. Odysseas Vlachodimos made a goaltender mistake for the first goal. As a result of his attempt to gather a through-ball, Jan Vertonghen sped his clearing. Jota blasted the ball back into the area in the 55th minute, where Firmino finished. read more.

Liverpool eased off after the Brazil striker volleyed home Tsimikas’ free-kick to make it 3-1. Benfica also took advantage of the offside trap to score both of its late goals. “At one point, we were 6-2 up on aggregate, and maybe we relaxed,” Diogo Jota stated.

Liverpool Qualify For Semi-Finals: In the quarterfinal draw, Benfica and Villarreal are the two outsiders. In addition, reaching the final is a near-dream scenario for Liverpool. On the other hand, Captain Jordan Henderson was not taking anything for granted.

Villarreal of Henderson said, “They overcame two very excellent teams, Juventus and Bayern Munich, and they are a very good team in their own right.”

“The performance against Benfica was relatively comfortable,” he added, “but we’re upset with the goals we surrendered.”

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Read more: UEFA Champions League quarterfinal: Manchester City defeats Atletico Madrid.