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Liverpool have won their last four matches against Portuguese clubs, qualifying in seven of nine knockout ties when facing Primeira Liga opposition. The Reds have also won ten of their last 13 Champions League games away from Anfield, including all four this season.
Liverpool to win and both teams to score NO is 11/8.
Mohamed Salah has scored 34 goals in 53 Champions appearance for Liverpool. He is 11/4 to break the deadlock and 4/6 to add to this tally.
Match preview
Will Liverpool continue their quest for a seventh European Cup success?
Jürgen Klopp’s side won the Champions League as recently as 2019, having been beaten in the final a mere 12 months earlier.
In all, Liverpool have reached the quarter-finals for the fourth time in just five seasons and are certainly amongst the favourites to lift the trophy once more.
A 2-0 victory at San Siro was followed by a 1-0 defeat at home to Inter, the latter only their third home European defeat since 2014.
But, having got through that tie, and lifted the Carabao Cup, Liverpool could still become the first men’s English club to win the quadruple.
Their next two domestic games are both against Manchester City, first a Premier League clash before an FA Cup semi-final at Wembley.
In the league, Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Watford means Klopp’s team have now won ten straight games and remain one point off the top.
They could hardly be in better form, so will Liverpool leave Lisbon with a healthy first leg lead?
In contrast to their visitors, Benfica are competing at this stage for the first time in six seasons, last going beyond the quarter-finals in 1990.
As Águias won this competition in 1961 and 1962, but have since lost in eight successive European Finals, possibly due to Béla Guttmann’s curse.
These days, their Champions League run has been so surprising because Benfica are far from at the peak of their powers.
Friday night’s 3-2 defeat at Braga means they could end the round 15 points below Primeira Liga leaders FC Porto.
Their domestic results saw legendary Head Coach Jorge Jesus sacked just before New Years’ Eve and Nélson Veríssimo remains in interim charge.
But, their Champions League run, that began way back on 4 August in the third qualifying round, has certainly provided some memorable moments.
Back in the summer, the Eagles hammered Spartak Moskva before edging out PSV thanks to some rearguard action in the Eindhoven.
They then, against the odds, came through their group, largely thanks to a thumping 3-0 victory over Barcelona at home.
Even so, they went into their clash with Ajax as huge underdogs but, after a 2-2 draw at home, Darwin Núñez’s header in Amsterdam saw them sneak through.
Nevertheless, this is an even tougher test and Liverpool are highly-fancied to build up an unassailable lead at Estádio da Luz.
Benfica team news
Nélson Veríssimo is a bit short of centre-forward options just now with Haris Seferović only just fit again and Rodrigo Pinho injured.
But star man Darwin Núñez, who’s scored 27 times already this season, will start after only being on the bench on Friday night.
In midfield, former Queens Park Rangers fans’ favourite Adel Taarabt is a major doubt due to an adductor injury.
So, Soualiho Meïté could continue to partner Julian Weigl who likes to control the tempo in the middle of the park.
Out-wide, this might not be a Merseyside derby but Éverton will be looking to defeat Liverpool.
He and Rafa Silva will be key threats, in support of Núñez from wide positions.
Centre-backs Jan Vertonghen and Nicolás Otamendi made 368 Premier League appearances between them but, now both 34, this’ll be a big test.
Liverpool team news
Despite the fact they face Manchester City at the weekend, don’t expect Jürgen Klopp to name a weakened side, if that’s even possible.
The big team news regards Trent Alexander-Arnold who missed the trip to Nottingham Forest and England’s two friendlies with a hamstring injury.
He was back on the bench against Watford so, what seems most likely is that Joe Gomez will start with Alexander-Arnold getting some minutes as a substitute.
In midfield, Fabinho was rested on Saturday but will come back in alongside Jordan Henderson and Thiago with Curtis Jones making way.
Up front, Klopp now have five top-class players vying for three positions.
January signing Luis Díaz is unbeaten in seven appearances against Benfica, scoring in last season’s Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira against them.
He, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané appear to be the first picks in bigger games, but this would see Diogo Jota join Roberto Firmino in reserve.
Jota would feel hard done by having scored his 20th goal of the season on Saturday, but he’s never netted in five appearances at Estádio da Luz.
