The impossible dream is still alive, as Liverpool produced another assured European display to continue their remarkable quadruple quest.
Goals from Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane, and an important late finish from the excellent Luis Diaz saw them put one foot into the Champions League semi-final. Yet it could - and should - have been both feet, and a guaranteed place in the last four. They took a sorry-looking Benfica side apart and produced enough big chances to have put this tie completely beyond doubt, but missed so many of them, with Mohammed Salah one of the chief culprits on stinker of an off night for the Egyptian.
Even so, their fifth consecutive away win in Europe, which equals an all-time club record, gives them an outstanding chance of making their 20th Euro semi slot and their 12th in this competition, which would equal Manchester United ’s British record. So it was no wonder Jurgen Klopp was left beaming at the end, as Diaz - who played for Benfica’s huge rivals Porto and was booed throughout the night - strode through in the final seconds to finish in style, and give the score line something of the sheen it deserved.
Yet if Konate was the hero with the important opening goal of the game from an Andy Robertson corner, then he turned villain in the second half with a string of mistakes which eventually let the home team back into the game, when the highly-coveted Darwin Nunez pulled one back. Klopp will ask how that was possible, as his side missed a string of one-on-ones on a night when they had 17 shots on goal and saw home keeper Vlachodimos make five big saves.
Salah missed three, two when he was clean through on goal - to post perhaps the only big worry on another otherwise excellent night for the Reds - and even the normally clinical Diogo Jota missed another gilt edged opportunity right at the end. Yet it was a totally different experience to precisely a year ago, when Liverpool crashed to disastrous defeat in Madrid, losing to Real in a lifeless display and in the process effectively sealing their Champions League exit at the quarter final stage.
The difference a year makes is not just astonishing, but miraculous. Since that low point in the eerie quiet of Real’s training ground, they have lost just three games. Three. And one of those was the defeat by Inter in the last round when they progressed anyway. There was a swagger born of that unbelievable run, which exploited the suicidal open formation of Benfica particularly through the rapier-like passing of Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose return from injury was marked by some exquisite football.
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It was typified by Liverpool’s second goal, on 34 minutes when he sent a missile across field for Luis Diaz to race onto, and head back across for a simple tap in for Sadio Mane that will live long in the memory. Before that, there was another delicious delivery, and assist in the 17th minute, but this time from Andy Robertson, whose corner found Konate unmarked for a powerful header that silenced this rowdy stadium.
Soon after, Diaz had another chance and it seemed for a brief period the visitors could run up a cricket score, but with Salah twice seeing chances saved when one on one with the keeper, there was a suspicion such profligacy could be punished. When Konate’s mistake allowed Nunez to do just that, it transformed the atmosphere in a previously silent stadium, and led to some nervous moments. But Diaz silenced the crowd once more when he ran onto Keita’s pass, and Liverpool must believe their quadruple bid is still very much on.
