UCL 2022: Firmino fires Liverpool into semis despite Benfica rally
The Hindu
Liverpool set up a Champions League semi-final with Spain’s Villarreal after Roberto Firmino scored twice in a 3-3 second-leg draw with Benfica on Wednesday to ensure a 6-4 aggregate win
There were a few nerves at the end but Liverpool set up a Champions League semi-final with Spain’s Villarreal after Roberto Firmino scored twice in a 3-3 second-leg draw with Benfica on Wednesday to ensure a 6-4 aggregate win.
Juergen Klopp’s side had been 3-1 up on the night before the visitors struck twice late in the game to create a jittery finale to what had appeared to be a comfortable passage.
The Lisbon side exited the competition with the applause of their own fans – and Liverpool’s – ringing in their ears after delivering a performance full of belief and commitment until the end.
With a 3-1 lead from the first leg in Lisbon, Liverpool manager Klopp made seven changes to the team which drew with Manchester City at the weekend, but his squad showed their improved strength in depth with Luis Diaz and Kostas Tsimikas particularly impressing.
Benfica forward Darwin Nunez had seen an effort ruled out for offside before Liverpool took the lead with a powerful header from a corner by defender Ibrahima Konate in the 21st minute.
Konate, who had also scored in the first leg, rose well to meet Tsimikas’s corner and give Liverpool a three-goal cushion.
Daniel Quizon is the latest to join the band of leaders. The Philippines player beat Russian Artion Stribuk on the third board in the ninth round at the Gift City Club on Tuesday. The four overnight leaders – Kazybek Nogerbek of Kazakhstan, Russia’s Rudik Makarian, Mamikon Gharibyan of Armenia, and Colombia’s Jose Gabriel Cardoso – were featured in the drawn games on the top two boards.
On the seam-friendly pitches at the Nassau County International Cricket Stadium, Axar Patel’s left-arm spin plays second fiddle to the pacers. Axar, however, has added great value as a batter. The southpaw, promoted to No. 4 in the Pakistan outing on Sunday, held the Indian innings together with an 18-ball 20.