Ex-Porto winger Luis Diaz starred with a goal and an assist in Liverpool’s 3-1 win against SL Benfica in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League quarterfinals first leg. Elsewhere, Kevin de Bruyne scored the only goal in Manchester City’s success over Atletico Madrid.
The Reds have one foot in the 2021/22 UEFA Champions League semifinals. Jurgen Klopp’s men beat Benfica 3-1 at the Estadio da Luz in the first leg of the quarterfinal stage, with winter signing Diaz contributing with a goal and an assist. For the first time in their history, the Merseyside outfit have won eight away games on the trot across all competitions.
Ibrahima Konate has scored his first Liverpool goal as he put them ahead in the 17th minute from an Andrew Robertson corner; the left-back climbed over his marker to head the ball into the ground and past goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Sadio Mane doubled Liverpool’s lead in the 34th minute, but his goal was a product of excellent link-up play between Trent Alexander-Arnold and Diaz. The Englishman spotted the run of Diaz through the left half-space and played an accurate long pass onto his head, which the Colombian cushioned into Mane’s path for a tap in.
Darwin Nunez gave Benfica a lease of life four minutes after the restart. The Uruguayan capitalized on a defensive mistake from Konate – who completely missed the ball while attempting to clear a Rafa Silva cross from the right – and curled it into the corner.
However, Diaz restored Liverpool’s two-goal lead three minutes from time; the attacker timed his run off the shoulder of the last man to perfection to get on the end of a Naby Keita pass, rounded the goalkeeper, and scored into an empty net.
Meanwhile, a clash of styles was on the cards when Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City faced Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid at the Etihad in the other quarterfinal fixture. The game settled into a familiar pattern – City, fluid, probing, and attacking; Atleti defensively resolute and compact, with two clear lines of five players each.
It took the English champions a while to break down their opponents – which they did in the 70th minute. Phil Foden, barely on as a substitute, was allowed to turn in between the lines with the ball, which he pertinently threaded through to Kevin de Bruyne, and he slotted it into the corner the first time of asking.
The Citizens didn’t allow Atletico a single shot on goal, but the Rojiblancos will have to do better than that if they wish to overturn the deficit in the second leg next week.
