Two Roberto Firmino goals set Liverpool on course for the UEFA Champions League semi-finals, but the Reds were made to work to the end as Benfica pulled two back at the Anfield on Wednesday.
Liverpool will line up in the UEFA Champions League semi-finals for the third time in five seasons after Roberto Firmino's second-half double all but wrapped up an aggregate triumph before Benfica hit back to remove some of the gloss as they held the hosts to 3-3 draw on the day. Premier League side has now set the semi-final against Villarreal with an aggregate score of 6-4.
A much-changed Liverpool side were slow to get into this quarter-final second leg, but looked almost home and dry when Ibrahima Konate headed in his second goal of the tie midway through the first half.
The Reds sought to make sure, with Benfica struggling to contain them at times, but the visitors weathered the storm and hit back when Goncalo Ramos made the most of a fortuitous ricochet.
Liverpool regained control, even if nerves still jangled faintly until Firmino twice tapped in at the far post in the space of 11 second-half minutes.
But then, Benfica delighted the travelling fans by staging a fine recovery to draw on the night, Roman Yaremchuk and Darwin Nunez pulling it back to 6-4 before it took a fantastic save from Alisson Becker to deny Darwin another.
( With inputs from ANI )
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