Given he wasn’t even supposed to be playing for Liverpool, no wonder Luis Diaz looks like he is enjoying every minute.
Diaz was, it seemed, always destined for Anfield, a long-scouted target with summer the anticipated arrival. However, it took interest from Tottenham Hotspur in January for the Reds to bring forward that £50million transfer.
They have been grateful for that decision ever since.
Jurgen Klopp has long declared Diaz as being unlike any other previous signing after hitting the ground running after moving from Porto. That’s always good going, particularly in a Klopp side.
But to do so halfway through a campaign when stepping into a team chasing a quadruple justified the admiration of the Reds boss.
Diaz, of course, was in familiar company here, restored to the starting line-up against a Benfica side with whom he had regularly duelled while playing in Portugal.
And having irked the opposing fans in Lisbon last week in the first leg of this Champions League quarter-final – his goal prompting a barrage of flagpoles in his direction – the Colombian was at it again.
PLAYER RATINGS: Luis Diaz superb and two others brilliant against Benfica
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From the first whistle, Diaz – showing his versatility by starring on the right flank – demonstrated his intent, regularly running at the Benfica defence and giving left-back Alejandro Grimaldo a torrid time first half.
One thrilling run in which he left his marker flat on his backside was only eventually thwarted by a save from the again busy Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos, while a timely tackle from Grimaldo prevented a tap-in after unselfish play by Roberto Firmino.
By the time Diaz was replaced midway through the second half, Liverpool were 3-1 up on the night with the job done, his huge ovation from Anfield faithful richly deserved.
As well as providing a different bow to the Reds’ attack, the contribution of Diaz has allowed Klopp to give Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah a much-needed rest – both on from the bench here – and rotate Diogo Jota and Firmino, the benefit of the latter’s improved sharpness evident with a well-taken second-half brace to cap a similarly impressive performance.
Far from being a rare mid-season gamble, Diaz is the wild card that nobody, perhaps not even Klopp himself, saw Liverpool able to play during the business end of the season.
And the winger, along with every Reds fan, is absolutely loving it.
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