Match ends, Liverpool 3, Benfica 3.
Liverpool remain in the hunt for a historic quadruple after a thrilling draw with Benfica secured a Champions League semi-final against Villarreal.
Having established a 3-1 lead in Lisbon, Liverpool extended their advantage with Ibrahima Konate's powerful 21st-minute header from a Kostas Tsimikas corner.
Benfica equalised through Goncalo Ramos' excellent turn and finish, before Roberto Firmino's two second-half goals - a tap-in followed by a volley - in front of the Kop looked to have put the Reds in control.
But after Roman Yaremchuk broke through to beat Alisson and make it 3-2 on the night, Darwin Nunez scored a late equaliser.
Nunez was then denied by Alisson as Benfica finished strongly but Liverpool held out to advance 6-4 on aggregate.
They now host Villarreal - the club they beat in the semi-finals of the Europa League in 2016 - on 27 April before travelling to Spain for the second leg on 4 May.
Villarreal secured their last-four spot by overcoming Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said: "I'm really happy because being in a semi-final is so special.
"We expect a couple of really difficult games. It will be a tough cookie but we are a tough cookie, so who cares?
"Villarreal deserved to get through. I know Bayern Munich don't want to hear that."
The semi-final brings Liverpool face-to-face with Villarreal boss Unai Emery, who has won the Europa League four times.
Three of those triumphs came at Sevilla, including victory over Klopp's Liverpool in the 2016 final, and the other with his current club.
Klopp added: "The manager is the king of the cup competitions, so they are experienced and a team full of desire and well organised with top-class players."
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Reds still in quadruple hunt
The games are coming thick and fast for Liverpool at the business end of the campaign, with a huge FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City up next on Saturday - the second meeting between the Premier League's top two in a week.
They head for Wembley knowing they are one round away from a third Champions League final in five seasons under Klopp.
The Liverpool boss made seven changes to the side that started the first leg in Portugal last week, with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane among those on the bench.
There was a return for James Milner who, at the age of 36, became the oldest Englishman to start a Champions League match since 37-year-old David Beckham did so for Paris St-Germain in 2012-13.
The Reds were made to work hard for their place in the semi-finals as Benfica came out fighting but the damage was done in the first leg.
"I made seven changes and that makes life not easy for the players," added Klopp. "We lost concentration when we were 3-1 up and it looked like we were through.
"It was not exactly what we wanted but it is absolutely not important.
"If we played the best game of the season tonight, it wouldn't have made it more likely to get to the final. We are through and that's all that matters and I'm really happy."
After Saturday, Liverpool - who trail leaders Manchester City by a single point - have a chance to return to the top of the Premier League, for 24 hours at least, when they host Manchester United in the Premier League the following Tuesday.
It will require a monumental effort for Liverpool, who won the Carabao Cup in February, to finish the season with four trophies and they will certainly have to defend better than they did in this game.
But with just a few weeks of the season left, they remain in the hunt for what would be an incredible feat.
Player of the match
Roberto FirminoRoberto Firmino
Liverpool
Avg
- Squad number9Player nameRoberto FirminoAverage rating
7.72
- Squad number23Player nameDíazAverage rating
7.40
- Squad number5Player nameKonatéAverage rating
7.34
- Squad number20Player nameDiogo JotaAverage rating
7.25
- Squad number11Player nameMohamed SalahAverage rating
7.24
- Squad number21Player nameTsimikasAverage rating
7.21
- Squad number6Player nameThiago AlcántaraAverage rating
7.11
- Squad number3Player nameFabinhoAverage rating
7.10
- Squad number10Player nameManéAverage rating
7.04
- Squad number14Player nameHendersonAverage rating
6.86
- Squad number7Player nameMilnerAverage rating
6.83
- Squad number8Player nameKeïtaAverage rating
6.81
- Squad number12Player nameGomezAverage rating
6.80
- Squad number27Player nameOrigiAverage rating
6.79
- Squad number1Player nameAlissonAverage rating
6.78
- Squad number32Player nameMatipAverage rating
6.77
Benfica
Avg
- Squad number9Player nameNúñezAverage rating
6.40
- Squad number20Player nameJoão MárioAverage rating
6.08
- Squad number15Player nameYaremchukAverage rating
6.05
- Squad number88Player nameGonçalo RamosAverage rating
5.84
- Squad number49Player nameTaarabtAverage rating
5.82
- Squad number17Player nameDiogo GonçalvesAverage rating
5.71
- Squad number5Player nameVertonghenAverage rating
5.66
- Squad number55Player namePaulo BernardoAverage rating
5.63
- Squad number7Player nameÉvertonAverage rating
5.56
- Squad number34Player nameAndré AlmeidaAverage rating
5.52
- Squad number28Player nameWeiglAverage rating
5.52
- Squad number31Player nameGil DiasAverage rating
5.52
- Squad number3Player nameGrimaldoAverage rating
5.49
- Squad number99Player nameVlachodimosAverage rating
5.42
- Squad number30Player nameOtamendiAverage rating
5.38
- Squad number2Player nameGilbertoAverage rating
5.33
Line-ups
Liverpool
Formation 4-3-3
- 1Alisson
- 12Gomez
- 32Matip
- 5Konaté
- 21Tsimikas
- 8Keïta
- 14HendersonSubstituted forFabinhoat 58'minutes
- 7MilnerSubstituted forThiago Alcántaraat 58'minutes
- 23DíazSubstituted forManéat 66'minutes
- 9FirminoSubstituted forOrigiat 90+1'minutes
- 20JotaSubstituted forSalahat 57'minutes
Substitutes
- 3Fabinho
- 4van Dijk
- 6Thiago Alcántara
- 10Mané
- 11Salah
- 15Oxlade-Chamberlain
- 17Jones
- 26Robertson
- 27Origi
- 62Kelleher
- 66Alexander-Arnold
- 67Elliott
Benfica
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 99Vlachodimos
- 2JuniorSubstituted forBastião Diasat 90+1'minutes
- 30Otamendi
- 5Vertonghen
- 3Grimaldo
- 49TaarabtSubstituted forJoão Márioat 66'minutes
- 28Weigl
- 7Sousa SoaresSubstituted forMagalhães de Almeidaat 90+1'minutes
- 88Gonçalo RamosSubstituted forGoncalves Bernardoat 78'minutes
- 17Cupido GoncalvesSubstituted forYaremchukat 45'minutes
- 9Núñez
Substitutes
- 11Meité
- 14Seferovic
- 15Yaremchuk
- 20João Mário
- 22Lazaro
- 23Radonjic
- 31Bastião Dias
- 34Magalhães de Almeida
- 55Goncalves Bernardo
- 77Aleixo Leite
- 89Costa Álvaro
- 91Rodrigues da Silva
- Referee:
- Serdar Gözübüyük
- Attendance:
- 51,373
Match Stats
- Possession
- Home67%
- Away33%
- Shots
- Home17
- Away6
- Shots on Target
- Home6
- Away4
- Corners
- Home8
- Away0
- Fouls
- Home9
- Away11
Live Text
Post update
Full Time
Second Half ends, Liverpool 3, Benfica 3.
Post update
Offside, Benfica. Alejandro Grimaldo tries a through ball, but Darwin Núñez is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from outside the box is just a bit too high. Assisted by Konstantinos Tsimikas with a cross.
Post update
Divock Origi (Liverpool) wins a free kick on the left wing.
Post update
Foul by Nicolás Otamendi (Benfica).
Substitution
Substitution, Benfica. André Almeida replaces Éverton.
Substitution
Substitution, Liverpool. Divock Origi replaces Roberto Firmino.
Substitution
Substitution, Benfica. Gil Dias replaces Gilberto.
Post update
Offside, Liverpool. Mohamed Salah tries a through ball, but Sadio Mané is caught offside.
Post update
Attempt missed. Thiago (Liverpool) right footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the right following a corner.
Post update
Corner, Liverpool. Conceded by Jan Vertonghen.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Sadio Mané.
Post update
Attempt saved. Darwin Núñez (Benfica) right footed shot from the left side of the box is saved in the bottom left corner. Assisted by Paulo Bernardo with a cross.
Post update
VAR Decision: Goal Liverpool 3-3 Benfica (João Mário).
Goal!
Goal! Liverpool 3, Benfica 3. Darwin Núñez (Benfica) right footed shot from the left side of the box to the bottom right corner. Assisted by João Mário.
Post update
Attempt blocked. Roberto Firmino (Liverpool) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Mohamed Salah.
Substitution
Substitution, Benfica. Paulo Bernardo replaces Gonçalo Ramos.
Post update
Konstantinos Tsimikas (Liverpool) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
Post update
Foul by João Mário (Benfica).
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Comments
Join the conversation
A word for Benfica, great character & fair play to them for an entertaining tie over the two legs.
YNWA
Bring on Villarreal.
22:20
"Liverpool outclassed"
Just spent 10 minutes on Spurs wikipedia page trying to see how you arrived at your username.
I'm struggling here.
Can you help?