Benfica (H) - UCL Quarter Final 2nd leg, Wed 13th Apr 2022 (8:00pm)

[Trumo]

This fixture is all about finishing the job started in Lisbon. We controlled the game barring an iffy first 15 minutes of the second half, and in the end were well worth a 3-1 lead over Nelson Verissimo’s side. In the first leg match thread, I talked about how we were once against coming up against Jorge Jesus. I had no idea that Benfica had sacked him in December! Regardless, it’s all about getting through to face one of Villarreal or (more likely) Bayern in the semis.

 

Movement. Accuracy. Nous. Organisation. Work-rate. Ambition. Ruthlessness.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

We’ve met Benfica at Anfield in Europe on a number of occasions down the years. The most recent was in the quarter finals of the Europa League in April 2010. We’d lost the first leg 2-1 despite going a goal up (a recurrent theme in 2009/10). It was a hugely troubling period for the club. We were cash-strapped. Members of the boardroom, the coaching staff and the playing staff were briefing against one another in the press. We were off the pace for a Champions League spot (not too far off, just not consistent enough to seize opportunities). We’d sold a key part of our midfield the summer before, and another key midfielder plus our main striker both had itchy feet and were casting eyes elsewhere.

 

The second leg against Benfica saw us, for one night at least, put all that aside with one of our best performances of the season to rout the Portuguese 4-1 and take the tie 5-3 on aggregate. Jorge Jesus was definitely the Benfica coach back then! Their side back then contained veteran Pablo Aimar along with a young David Luiz and Angel Di Maria. Dirk set us on our way with a header inside the six yard box from Stevie’s corner. The dopey linesman ruled it out for offside, and it took the experienced Dutch ref Bjorn Kuipers to tell him that players cannot be offside from a corner kick! Lucas then took a leaf out of Stevie’s book with a well-timed run through the middle of the Benfica defence to round the keeper and pass the ball into the net. It was classy as fuck, but not as classy as the goal that gave us a 3-0 lead on the night. A lightning break involving Yossi and Dirk, and El Nino charged in from the far post to fire into the net. Benfica’s Paraguayan striker Oscar Cardozo scored with a low free kick through the wall to bring Benfica to within one goal of going ahead in the tie on away goals, but El Nino made sure of the next round when he raced through down the right and calmly lifted the ball into the net past the stranded keeper. We were through and would come up against Atletico Madrid in the semis.

 

 

The remake of 80s epic Clash of the Titans was atop the box office in April 2010. Starring the likes of Sam Worthington (fresh off James Cameron’s Avatar and the latest instalment of the Terminator franchise, Terminator Salvation), Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, it was basically about squabbling amongst the Greek gods (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, demigod Perseus, the usual suspects). I wish I could tell you more but this is one of those films that I saw when I still had the Sky Movies package (they threw it in for 18 months along with Sky Sports after a billing fuck-up), and I can barely remember it. I was probably sitting with my laptop posting shit on here instead. I did that a lot back then. My sketchy memory of the film visualises an overblown CGI-fest.

 

 

It’s hard to know what to expect from Benfica, but I do know what I expect from Klopp and his men. Yes there is a big game at the weekend and a chance for us to reach our first FA Cup final in a decade, but he will want to ensure there is no let-up of focus, motivation and application against the Portuguese. I imagine he’ll shuffle the pack again to ensure players are getting sufficient game time in this hectic period as well as ample rest. As long as whoever is selected does what they are capable of, we should expect progress to yet another Champions League semi final without undue fuss. Get it done.

[Creator Supreme]

0-3!

[aRdja]

Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Virgil, Tsimikas; Henderson, Milner, Keita; Mane, Diaz, Firmino

[Anubis]

Get in. Get the three points. Get out.

[AngryOfTuebrook]

12 hours ago, Trumo said:

This fixture is all about finishing the job started in Lisbon. We controlled the game barring an iffy first 15 minutes of the second half, and in the end were well worth a 3-1 lead over Nelson Verissimo’s side. In the first leg match thread, I talked about how we were once against coming up against Jorge Jesus. I had no idea that Benfica had sacked him in December! Regardless, it’s all about getting through to face one of Villarreal or (more likely) Bayern in the semis.

 

Movement. Accuracy. Nous. Organisation. Work-rate. Ambition. Ruthlessness.

 

I don’t ask for much.

 

We’ve met Benfica at Anfield in Europe on a number of occasions down the years. The most recent was in the quarter finals of the Europa League in April 2010. We’d lost the first leg 2-1 despite going a goal up (a recurrent theme in 2009/10). It was a hugely troubling period for the club. We were cash-strapped. Members of the boardroom, the coaching staff and the playing staff were briefing against one another in the press. We were off the pace for a Champions League spot (not too far off, just not consistent enough to seize opportunities). We’d sold a key part of our midfield the summer before, and another key midfielder plus our main striker both had itchy feet and were casting eyes elsewhere.

 

The second leg against Benfica saw us, for one night at least, put all that aside with one of our best performances of the season to rout the Portuguese 4-1 and take the tie 5-3 on aggregate. Jorge Jesus was definitely the Benfica coach back then! Their side back then contained veteran Pablo Aimar along with a young David Luiz and Angel Di Maria. Dirk set us on our way with a header inside the six yard box from Stevie’s corner. The dopey linesman ruled it out for offside, and it took the experienced Dutch ref Bjorn Kuipers to tell him that players cannot be offside from a corner kick! Lucas then took a leaf out of Stevie’s book with a well-timed run through the middle of the Benfica defence to round the keeper and pass the ball into the net. It was classy as fuck, but not as classy as the goal that gave us a 3-0 lead on the night. A lightning break involving Yossi and Dirk, and El Nino charged in from the far post to fire into the net. Benfica’s Paraguayan striker Oscar Cardozo scored with a low free kick through the wall to bring Benfica to within one goal of going ahead in the tie on away goals, but El Nino made sure of the next round when he raced through down the right and calmly lifted the ball into the net past the stranded keeper. We were through and would come up against Atletico Madrid in the semis.

 

 

The remake of 80s epic Clash of the Titans was atop the box office in April 2010. Starring the likes of Sam Worthington (fresh off James Cameron’s Avatar and the latest instalment of the Terminator franchise, Terminator Salvation), Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes, it was basically about squabbling amongst the Greek gods (Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, demigod Perseus, the usual suspects). I wish I could tell you more but this is one of those films that I saw when I still had the Sky Movies package (they threw it in for 18 months along with Sky Sports after a billing fuck-up), and I can barely remember it. I was probably sitting with my laptop posting shit on here instead. I did that a lot back then. My sketchy memory of the film visualises an overblown CGI-fest.

 

 

It’s hard to know what to expect from Benfica, but I do know what I expect from Klopp and his men. Yes there is a big game at the weekend and a chance for us to reach our first FA Cup final in a decade, but he will want to ensure there is no let-up of focus, motivation and application against the Portuguese. I imagine he’ll shuffle the pack again to ensure players are getting sufficient game time in this hectic period as well as ample rest. As long as whoever is selected does what they are capable of, we should expect progress to yet another Champions League semi final without undue fuss. Get it done.

Me and my mate used to have a routine for midweek games: get off work, get a pizza and a couple of beers in Carragher's place in Stanley Street, then the bus up to Anfield.

 

That night, we were gabbing with a bunch of people on the bus and (as was the fashion at the time) opinion was divided about Lucas. I was speaking up for him, but my mate was arguing that he never does anything; unprompted, he said "If he scores tonight, I'll pay for your pizza next time."

 

Needless to say, I had the last laugh. 

 

We could get away with a result like the Inter one, but there's nothing like a good win to set you up for the next match. Just get these beat, Reds.

[Lario]

Torn between giving our "big players" a rest before the weekend or letting them play to get their eye in.

 

Jurgen Klopp I ain't.

[ZonkoVille77]

We're fuckin' shite. 

[A_S]

23 minutes ago, Lario said:

Torn between giving our "big players" a rest before the weekend or letting them play to get their eye in.

 

Jurgen Klopp I ain't.

5 subs allows for a bit of both. 

[El Rojo]

10 hours ago, aRdja said:

Alisson; Gomez, Konate, Virgil, Tsimikas; Henderson, Milner, Keita; Mane, Diaz, Firmino

I think we'd need to keep one of Trent or Robbo in there. Hendo and Milner starting might leave us a bit leggy in the middle. Maybe Jones will start again. Agree that Konate and Keita should come in, and use the five subs early if/when we score again. 

 

Diaz and Jota should both start against a Portuguese team. Give Mo a rest. 

[House of Dirk]

Cunt-los no bastardo

[Torvald Utne]

1 hour ago, AngryOfTuebrook said:

Me and my mate used to have a routine for midweek games: get off work, get a pizza and a couple of beers in Carragher's place in Stanley Street, then the bus up to Anfield.

 

That night, we were gabbing with a bunch of people on the bus and (as was the fashion at the time) opinion was divided about Lucas. I was speaking up for him, but my mate was arguing that he never does anything; unprompted, he said "If he scores tonight, I'll pay for your pizza next time."

 

Needless to say, I had the last laugh. 

 

We could get away with a result like the Inter one, but there's nothing like a good win to set you up for the next match. Just get these beat, Reds.

 

 

[m0e]

Full team for this. No fucking around.

 

Take off 5 players when we're 3 nil up.

[Red Shift]

Has daylight saving started yet in UK?

[alles ist gut]

6 hours ago, Red Shift said:

Has daylight saving started yet in UK?

Yeah, last Sunday in March. It'll be spring soon, they say.

[El Rojo]

11 hours ago, m0e said:

Full team for this. No fucking around.

 

Take off 5 players when we're 3 nil up.

You're right, but given our depth, a full team can include Konate, Keita and a few changes in the front three. 

[Red Shift]

2 hours ago, alles ist gut said:

Yeah, last Sunday in March. It'll be spring soon, they say.

Thanks! Thats a 7am kick off for me Thursday morning.

[m0e]

1 hour ago, El Rojo said:

You're right, but given our depth, a full team can include Konate, Keita and a few changes in the front three. 

Agreed. But Ali, VVD, the full backs, fabinho and Thiago and Salah must start

[sir roger]

2 minutes ago, m0e said:

Agreed. But Ali, VVD, the full backs, fabinho and Thiago and Salah must start

Not sure about Robbo, Trent, Thiago or Salah. I'd like to see the other three though.

 

[m0e]

1 minute ago, sir roger said:

Not sure about Robbo, Trent, Thiago or Salah. I'd like to see the other three though.

 

Not for me, Clive. We can't afford to fuck around here. We nearly fucked it against Inter.

[El Rojo]

1 hour ago, m0e said:

Agreed. But Ali, VVD, the full backs, fabinho and Thiago and Salah must start

Maybe a night to rest Salah? There’ll be few enough other opportunities to do so, hopefully.

[3 Stacks]

Salah doesn't have to play in this because we have great forward depth, but you can't rotate significantly in a Champions League quarter, only 2 goals up. There's 5 subs, we can rotate in game. 

[m0e]

27 minutes ago, 3 Stacks said:

Salah doesn't have to play in this because we have great forward depth, but you can't rotate significantly in a Champions League quarter, only 2 goals up. There's 5 subs, we can rotate in game. 

I don't see who else is effective on the right.

 

I thought Mane would be boss there, but he stank the place out last time, probably because he's become so unfamiliar with it.

 

Salah not starting means an experimental set up, and the QFs of the CL isn't the time for experiments.

[gkmacca]

May as well give a run out to the most beleagured trio since Scouting for Girls, Alex Oxlade Chamberlain.

[3 Stacks]

3 minutes ago, m0e said:

I don't see who else is effective on the right.

 

I thought Mane would be boss there, but he stank the place out last time, probably because he's become so unfamiliar with it.

 

Salah not starting means an experimental set up, and the QFs of the CL isn't the time for experiments.

Jota would play there, probably.

[m0e]

Just now, 3 Stacks said:

Jota, probably.

Yeah, because he's lit it up on the right so far, hasn't he?