The two strongest leagues of recent years make up the Champions League among themselves. After Real Madrid and FC Villareal, FC Liverpool and Manchester Cit also made it into the semi-finals, in which FC Bayern have to watch.
Jürgen Klopp is chasing the Champions League title with Liverpool FC, while Manchester City and Pep Guardiola are also in the semi-finals of the premier class. Liverpool handed a 3: 3 (1: 1) in the quarter-final second leg against Benfica Lisbon on Wednesday evening for entry into the round of the top four teams. City didn’t need a win after going 1-0 in their first meeting either, advancing to the semi-finals with a 0-0 draw at Atlético Madrid.
While star coach Guardiola will now meet Real Madrid with the English champions, coach Klopp plays with the Reds against Bayern conqueror FC Villarreal. The semi-finals will take place on 26/.27. April (first legs) and 3./4. May (second leg) instead.
Liverpool: Benfica turns on too late
Ex-Leipziger Ibrahima Konaté (21st minute) and ex-Hoffenheimer Roberto Firmino (55th/65th) ensured with their goals for a long sovereign performance of Klopp’s team. Then Benfica came back: Goals from Gonçalo Ramos (32′), Roman Yaremtschuk (73′) and Darwin Núñez (82′) were not enough for the Portuguese despite their late urge phase for the sensation.
It was not a sure-fire success for Klopp and Liverpool after the 3-1 first-leg win in Lisbon. In a fast-paced game, the hosts roused Anfield after just over 20 minutes when Konaté headed in from a corner. But Benfica held back. A first goal by Darwin (23rd) was disallowed for offside. Shortly thereafter, Ramos sank free in front of Reds goalkeeper Alisson to equalize.
That didn’t shock Liverpool at all. On the contrary: Driven by their own fans, the second in the Premier League table improved after the break. First, Firmino pushed into the short corner after nice preliminary work from Diogo Jota. Ten minutes later, the Brazilian converted a free-kick directly. After that, Anfield had to tremble. First Yaremchuk rounded Alisson and made the connection, then Darwin pushed in free-standing. The stadium fell silent for a moment, but it wasn’t enough for Benfica.
Ultimately, Atlético cannot crack Man City
In Madrid, on the other hand, almost everything went as expected for a long time: the English controlled the game with their possession football, Atlético were waiting for a counterattack. National player Ilkay Gündogan had the best chance in the first round. The City professional put his shot (30th) from a few meters but only on the post. Only in the course of the second half did the Spaniards give up their defensive stance and push for success. In a heated final phase, Atlético could not get to the goal despite everything. Instead, Felipe saw yellow-red in the almost ten-minute stoppage time (90 + 2). There will be no other Madrid derby in the premier class.
Source: Stern
I have been working in the news industry for over 6 years, first as a reporter and now as an editor. I have covered politics extensively, and my work has appeared in major newspapers and online news outlets around the world. In addition to my writing, I also contribute regularly to 24 Hours World.
