Will Liverpool meet the high expectations against Benfica?
No football pundit is likely to have had Benfica Lisbon on their pre-season docket for the UEFA Champions League quarter-finals. But the Portuguese proved all the experts wrong. After winning a preliminary group with FC Barcelona and FC Bayern Munich, they eliminated Ajax Amsterdam in the round of 16 and are now in the quarter-finals. There, coach Verissimo’s team will face a completely different calibre in the form of the English top team Liverpool.
Not only because of the difficult task in the quarter-finals, the best bookmakers rate Benfica Lisbon as the biggest underdog of all teams still in the competition. Should Benfica Lisbon actually win the Champions League, the bookmakers are currently paying back two hundred times the stake. However, this can certainly be understood as a realistic assessment of Benfica Lisbon’s chance of winning the Champions League.
Just how big the difference is in terms of performance levels in Liga Portugal and the English Premier League was recently demonstrated to Benfica’s city rivals, Sporting Lisbon, against Manchester City in the last 16 of the Champions League. The Portuguese side were literally shown up by the English side in their own stadium with a 5-0 defeat, which meant that all dreams of a possible progression to the next round had already been extinguished in the first leg.
It is quite possible that Benfica Lisbon will experience something similar against the strong English. At the moment, only the most optimistic Portuguese fans are expecting to get their bets right on Benfica Lisbon in the Who will make it to the semi-finals?
Benfica Lisbon – Analysis & Statistics
In addition to the rather surprising elimination of FC Porto in the round of 16 of the Europa League against Olympique Lyon, Sporting Lisbon was also eliminated in the round of 16 of the Champions League as expected against Manchester City. So only Benfica Lisbon still holds the Portuguese national colours high in this year’s European Cup season. But with the quarter-final draw, it could hardly have been harder for the club from the Portuguese capital.
Surprise quarter-final draw
The situation in the domestic Portuguese league is different from that in Europe. In third place, they are already twelve points behind leaders Porto, and city rivals Sporting Lisbon are already six points behind them. Benfica Lisbon is simply dropping too many points nationally against the smaller teams. Not being able to win a championship title again after 2018/19 is gnawing at the self-image of the big Portuguese club.
In the Champions League this year, however, the team showed what potential it has. While they had no chance against the group winners Bayern Munich, they were able to beat FC Barcelona and Dynamo Kiev in the group. They certainly benefited from the Catalans’ poor performance in the preliminary round, who had great difficulty finding themselves after Messi’s departure.
In the round of 16, they surprisingly won against the Dutch champions Ajax Amsterdam. Not necessarily deserved and a bit lucky due to the goal chances and share of play in the second leg, but Benfica Lisbon proved that on good days they can be quite an unpleasant opponent.
Benfica probably needs two such very good days to be right with the Who’s going to the semi-finals prediction on Benfica Lisbon vs Liverpool
Liverpool – Analysis & stats
Liverpool FC have had a great season so far. Now, however, there are trend-setting weeks ahead for the Klopp eleven. After the quarter-final first leg in Lisbon, it’s time for the highly anticipated clash with Manchester City in the Premier League. With a win in Manchester, Liverpool could take over the top spot in the table from Guardiola’s eleven. Liverpool have won a strong nine games in a row in the league recently.
Only one defeat in the Champions League
The team also gave their opponents no chance in the Champions League preliminary round, winning all six games in the group stage. In the round of 16, they made things clear early on with a 2-0 win at Inter Milan in the first leg – they could then afford the somewhat surprising, narrow home defeat in the second leg and are now in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool FC now have a feasible task waiting for them. In the case of Benfica Lisbon against Liverpool, there is probably only one choice in the Who will make it to the semi-finals prediction – Liverpool will progress. Even if the odds are not exactly lucrative.
Liverpool FC are trying to reach for the European stars for the seventh time in their club’s history this season. It would be the second Champions League success in Jürgen Klopp’s coaching era. And the hopes are well justified due to the strong performances and the high individual quality in the team.
Benfica Lisbon – Liverpool Previous duels
Liverpool and Benfica Lisbon have already faced each other in a total of ten direct duels in the Europa and Champions League. Unsurprisingly, Liverpool FC lead the overall standings. While Liverpool have won six duels, Benfica Lisbon have four victories in the direct comparison. The goal difference of 19:11 is also in favour of Liverpool FC.
The last meeting between the two teams was twelve years ago, in the quarter-finals of the Europa League. After a defeat in Lisbon, Liverpool were able to prevail in the second leg and progressed to the next round. However, the last meeting in the Champions League, in the last 16 in 2006, was won by Benfica Lisbon, who won both the first and second legs.
Benfica Lisbon – Liverpool Tip
It would have to be a case of the devil if Liverpool were to fail to beat Benfica Lisbon over two legs. The difference in performance and individual quality between the two teams is simply too great. While Benfica are only third in the international second-tier Portuguese league, Liverpool can take the top spot in the world’s strongest league with a win against Manchester City.
But of course this match also wants to be played first. Benfica Lisbon have looked good in the role of the underdog so far this season. Liverpool should therefore by no means underestimate the Portuguese. Over two duels, however, the class and superiority of Liverpool FC will prevail in this duel.
