Benfica 1 - The Mighty Reds 3
A break from the Premiership & the away leg of the Champions League against “Sport Lisboa e Benfica” tonight. The Eagles are a good side obviously at this stage of the premier club international tournament there are no mugs, but I’m not sure if they’ll be at very full strength. I’ve heard like most teams at this stage in the football season especially after the International matches, they may have some injuries to key players!
We shall see & if our players are in top form we hope to get at least a draw to take back to the daunting Anfield! But obviously we’ll have one eye on an imminent visit to the Emptyhad to face moneybags Citeh which may determine Klopps team selection for this one, no rest for our team, but that’s the price you have to pay when your team is so good & always try to be in contention for all honours up for grabs, the other alternative is being an Everton fan & that would be our worse nightmare!!
Obviously The Eagles need to stop the Reds getting a hold of the tie which probably means their players will have to stop our players by fouling the problem for them is, that 7 of the Benfica players have been booked in this competition so they need to be extra careful because extra bookings will carry a ban!
Looking at the teams selected & the Reds have a number of changes but still a strong line up but I had to look twice is that number 7 EVERTON playing for the Eagles, what’s the chances of that peculiar name of a player playing against LFC in the CL!!
Very good start by the Reds paid off after a couple of great chances in the first few minutes then on 17th minute a great first Liverpool goal for Konate from a corner for a deserved lead! The Reds continued great pressing & 2nd goal by Mane on 34 minutes, great play by Trent for a very deserved 2-0 lead the first half finished 0-2 should really have been double that score great performances from the Reds especially Thiago, but some great saves by the Benfica Keeper kept the Reds to only a two goal lead at the break!
The second half starts with a goal for the Eagles on 49 minutes against the run of play really, but these things happen & I have to say Liverpool allowed a bit of sloppy play into their game something that didn’t look possible in the first half & Van Dyjk had a few harsh words for some of his fellow defenders!
The Benfica goal gave them a renewed belief in getting a result when really they should have been out of the tie, but the Reds lost their way after wasting great goal scoring opportunities until Luis Diaz scored a 3rd goal in the 88th to ease all our nerves, but really I know I’m biased, but just in our first half display we could have been well ahead in this tie!
A really worrying sight was Fabinho who late in the game had a clash of heads with blood showing at the back of his head which is worrying for Sundays game! But he came back on & looked ok amazingly! The game finished the Reds 3-1 up in this first tie, great result by the Reds!
A worried at times but gratefully happy Bigfella!