Liverpool 3 Benfica 3 (Apr 13 2022)

[tlw content]

 

 

 

Report by

Dave Usher

 

I don’t really have any particularly strong opinions on this one. In the micro it’s not good. A home draw to follow up the defeat we had to Inter in the last round is something of a concern. Giving away three goals is bad and what makes it worse is it could easily have been more. Then you zoom out to look at the macro and it’s a much brighter picture.

 

We qualified for the semi finals with a bit to spare despite resting more or the less the entire starting line up. We didn’t win the game, but then we didn’t need to. We just needed to win the tie, which we did, comfortably. While it didn’t look good seeing Benfica repeatedly get in behind our high line, would that have happened if we’d have been at full throttle, let alone fielded our best team? Unlikely.

 

We’re at the business end of the season and every result counts. If we can catch a breather, rest players and not fully exert those who do play while still being able to achieve the result we need, then that’s cause for celebration, not concern. We did what we needed to do and we did it with the minimum of effort. I can’t criticise that, especially as it’s how I’ve lived my whole life. 

 

I’m not completely dismissing the more worrying elements of the performance but I’m not wasting too much energy worrying about them either, especially as it wasn’t the line up that we’ll be counting on for the next couple of months. I thought overall we played pretty well and we controlled virtually all of the game. We created chances, scored goals, and played some lovely football.

 

We also looked wide open and could have conceded more than three. That points towards defensive frailty, but I don’t think it was the back four who were culpable for it really. We play a high line and the defence did what we always do, but when you do that with no real pressure on the ball you can come unstuck. And we did. Often.

 

That’s always going to happen if we aren’t playing at full throttle, and in a game like this we’d have been stupid to play at full throttle. So while there is a nagging concern that teams might finally be figuring out how to stay onside and get in behind us, it’s hard to judge that in a game like this.

 

 

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[Jamie H]

Agree on the macro / micro view, we ain't played to our very best in the last 10 or so games, but the points/ qualification have kept coming. 

[dave u]

When was the last game where we actually really turned it on? Feels like we've mostly just been churning out results without ever hitting our top form.

 

Leeds maybe?

[dockers_strike]

37 minutes ago, dave u said:

When was the last game where we actually really turned it on? Feels like we've mostly just been churning out results without ever hitting our top form.

 

Leeds maybe?

Mancs away even though we took our foot off the gas for the last 30 minutes?

[Daisy]

Feels like we've been starved of champions league games that really matter at Anfield this year due to how good our away form has been.

 

Good job we've got Villareal at home first in the semis

[alles ist gut]

Top, top haircut analysis as always, Dave.

[Guest]

 

[Trumo]

On the Benfica players reaction after Ibou's opener, I don't think any of them were claiming a foul. I think they felt the corner had curled out of play during its trajectory. It hadn't.