Liverpool travel to Benfica in their first leg of their UEFA Champions League quarter-final tie on Tuesday as they aim to gain the upper hand on their Portuguese opposition ahead of the second leg at Anfield next week.
But a trip to the Estadio da Luz won’t be easy by any means against a side who have already beaten Barcelona at home in the competition this season, as the Primeira Liga outfit look to make it to the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.
The Reds recorded a 2-0 defeat of Watford in the Premier League on Saturday to extend their winning run to 10 matches, while Benfica suffered a 3-2 defeat away to Braga on Friday.
When is Benfica vs Liverpool?
Benfica vs Liverpool will kick-off at 8pm on Tuesday, April 5 at Estadio da Luz.
The last meeting between these two sides came back in April 2010, when the Reds defeated their visitors 4-1 at Anfield in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final to win 5-3 on aggregate.
After losing the first leg 2-1, first half goals from Dirk Kuyt and Lucas Leiva put the Reds in control of the tie, before Fernando Torres scored either side of an Oscar Cardozo strike in the second half to ensure the Reds advanced to the semi-finals.
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How to watch
The match will be televised live on BT Sport 3, while there will also be a live stream service online via the BT Sport app.
Coverage will begin at 7:15pm.
Match odds
Benfica vs Liverpool odds from Betfred
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Benfica - 15/2
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Draw - 4/1
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Liverpool - 2/5
*odds subject to change
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Team news
Nelson Verissimo has a relatively fit and available squad at his disposal for this encounter as he aims to cause an upset in Lisbon on Tuesday night, although he could be without a trio of players for the tie.
Striker Rodrigo Pinho is still absent, along with Lucas Verissimo, who has a ruptured cruciate ligament, while Adel Taarabt is a doubt after missing Friday’s defeat to Braga with an adductor issue.
Jurgen Klopp is sure to play his strongest possible side for this fixture in order to have the best chance of getting the job done ahead of the second leg next week, with the Reds set to embark on a hectic schedule this month.
And despite having three players in the treatment room, he could welcome back all of them for this tie, with Curtis Jones (ankle) and Joel Matip (head) set to shake off minor injuries from the weekend, while Naby Keita (knee) will face a late fitness test.
