Liverpool took a grip on their Champions League quarter-final with an impressive victory at Benfica.
Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz were on target as the Reds earned a 3-1 win in Portugal on Tuesday evening. The result means Jurgen Klopp’s side are on course for a third semi-final in the competition in the last five seasons and retain hope of an unprecedented quadruple.
But there was plenty that went unnoticed or under the radar during the 90 minutes at the Estadio da Luz.
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Slippery Milner
When James Milner is being introduced from the bench for the closing moments, you know Liverpool are probably in a good position.
The veteran has regularly been brought on in the final minutes this campaign to help see out games by using every ounce of his invaluable experience.
And he was at it again in Lisbon, grabbing the ball in injury time after conceding a free-kick and then fumbling it forward out of his grasp, wasting precious seconds in the process.
The home fans were absolutely livid. Butterfingers, James.
Robertson’s smoking
Benfica’s famed hostile atmosphere didn’t disappoint, even if the pre-match obsession with 1980s music was particularly curious. Plastic flags were laid out on seats before the game with supporters waving them in a frenzy as the teams entered the field, making for a noisy and colourful welcome.
Come the end, though, several had been turned into makeshift missiles with flagpoles pelted at first Diaz after his goal, and then Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson as they stood over an injury-time corner.
Robertson was also the target for a number of cigarette lighters. But, as the left-back later claimed, if it stopped a few people smoking then it wasn’t all bad.
Van Dijk misses cue
It takes a lot to ruffle Virgil van Dijk. And even a rare blunder couldn’t knock the Liverpool defender out of his stride in Portugal. Van Dijk was at his calm best for much of the game, save the moment he swung his foot at an attempted clearance and missed the ball completely.
The Dutchman swiftly recovered from his air kick and carried on, presumably in the hope nobody spotted his brief aberration.
Meanwhile, with the home fans long since dispersed, the travelling Reds high in the Estadio da Luz stands continued to celebrate after the game, and gave a huge ovation to the unused Liverpool substitutes as they trotted out for their post-match warm-down.
Where eagles dare
Anyone who has watched a Benfica home game will know exactly what to expect before kick-off. In a magnificent display of falconry, an eagle swoops for a few laps around the inside of the stadium before landing on its perch to huge cheers.
What wasn’t anticipated, though, was the impressive beast later being carried through the press room after the game as the gathered hacks bashed out their prose.
Rumours the eagle is now being drafted in to write Liverpool player ratings for the ECHO have just been made up.
