KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Liverpool v Benfica - CL Qtrs 2nd leg - 13/04/22 KO 8pm BST

Champions League quarter-final: Liverpool v Benfica

Date: Wednesday, 13 April Venue: Anfield Kick-off: 20:00 BST


Jurgen Klopp says Saturday's FA Cup semi-final with Manchester City will have no influence on the Liverpool team he picks to face Benfica.

The Reds face City at Wembley after their Champions League semi-final second leg at Anfield on Wednesday.

Liverpool are looking to finish the job against the Portuguese side after establishing a 3-1 advantage in Lisbon.

"Nobody is injured but we need to look who is fresher for the game and stuff like this," said Klopp.

"The next game has no influence on the line-up for tomorrow but the last game has."

Despite his side's healthy advantage over Benfica, Klopp described the second leg as a "super important game".

"We tried so hard to get to the Champions League and now we can make it to semis," he added.

"It's 3-1 at half-time, it's as tricky as 2-0. A good basis, but if they score one - like we felt against Inter - the game changes.

"We felt it when they scored last week. We really need to make them feel this is a place they don't want to go."

Team news

Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate, who played and scored in Lisbon last week, is likely to replace Joel Matip again.

Midfielder Naby Keita, only a substitute in the 2-2 league draw at Manchester City on Sunday, could come back into midfield.

Roberto Firmino and Luis Diaz look set to start up front.

Benfica will be without right-winger Rafa Silva, who has been ruled out with injury

Match stats

Liverpool have progressed from each of their past 12 ties in the Champions League knockout stages after winning the first leg, with their last - and only - elimination in this scenario coming in the 2001-02 quarter-finals against Bayer Leverkusen (1-0 in first leg, 4-2 defeat in the second leg).

Only two teams have won by more than one goal away to Liverpool in the knockout stages of the Champions League, however one of those instances was by Benfica (2-0 in 2005-06 in the last 16) - the other being Chelsea's 3-1 win there in the 2008-09 quarter-finals.

Benfica have only won one of their past nine away games in the Champions League (D3 L5), although that victory did come in the last round as they eliminated Ajax (1-0 last month).

Liverpool are looking to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League for the third time under Jurgen Klopp.

https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/61083788

Whilst I normally advocate for fielding our best available 11 in PL & CL games, I believe this is an exception to the fact for this game.

We simply have to arrive at Wembley at the weekend in the best possible physical and mental strength/shape, which means resting players. Yes it could lead to a certain level of complacency tomorrow night, however I believe we have the players to get us over the line without needing to use our strongest line up tomorrow.

Alisson

Gomez Konate VVD Tsimikas

Keita Milner Jones

Elliott Bobby Diaz

I believe we can play a similar line up to the Forest FA Cup game and get away with it at home. I'd be looking to swap VVD out for Matip, Diaz out for Ox, Bobby out for Origi and Elliott out for Minamino after 60 mins, giving those players who are likely to play some gametime in the Citeh Fa Cup semi, a rest.

I am hoping Citeh have a nightmare at The Wanda tomorrow night and them turning up to Wembley having been put through the ringer.

they way we defend we can't afford to take it easy. i'd start diaz and keita .

It's a fallacy that we have a bad defence, the culprit here is VAR because it gives the notion we are under pressure / susceptible in defence. Referees / Assistants allow patterns of play to completion more often than not even though there is blatant offsides.

Yes we play a high line however it something we as a team are very, very good at. It allows us to concentrate play in our opponents half most of the time, contributing to us scoring more goals. We have only allowed 2 more goals scored against us than Citeh, but have scored 7 more goals than Citeh in the PL this season.

The last time we conceded at home in PL was v Norwich Feb 19th and that was when we played with Tsimikas & Gomez as our wingbacks. Prior to that it was v Newcastle Dec 16th again we played with Konate & Matip as our CB's. Prior to that v Brighton Oct 30th when we played with Konate & VVD as our CB's. Prior to that was v Man City Oct 3rd when we played with what I suggest is our best CB pairing of Matip & VVD (Milner played RB in TAA absence).

Our defence is exceptional, especially when we have played our best line of TAA, Matip, VVD & Robbo. At home the last and ONLY time they conceded at home was v Chelsea Aug 28th. That's ONLY 1 goal conceded at home in the PL this season when that defensive line has been used!

its a fallacy we say its a fallacy we have a bad defence.. cause we do.. we give up chances way too easy for a top team.. alison repeatedly saves us.. city shoulda been 5 up at half time. inter has loads of chances, west ham cut us open etc etc..

our defence system is wrong and its making good defenders worse.

If it was an issue we wouldn't be going strong in every competition we entered this season, already having won 1.
The stats don't lie.

I'm happy with that line up should be enough to get job done and to take players off after an hour to rest with a view to Saturday.

If it was an issue we wouldn't be going strong in every competition we entered this season, already having won 1.
The stats don't lie.
[/quote]

the stats don't lie u are right, we give away major chances in every single match.. stats. norwich even cut us open a few times

Your just as deluded about football as you are about politics.
Facts and stats be damned.