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Luis Díaz comes up trumps for Liverpool against old foes Benfica | Sid Lowe
The winger, unbeaten against the Portuguese side in eight matches, scored one and set up another in the 3-1 victory
In the end it had to be him. There were four minutes remaining when Luis Díaz was sent dashing way, stepped past Odisseas Vlachodimos and rolled the ball into the net to secure a victory that had looked as if it might slip through Liverpool’s hands during a second half in which they had been made to suffer more than anyone expected. Running to the corner, he leapt and screamed. In the stands in front of him Benfica’s supporters did so, too, a flag pole sent flying his way.
They had whistled him all game, before it in fact. Díaz stood for a moment, then pulled at his shirt and kissed the badge. He had beaten them again, this time in a Liverpool shirt. He has faced them eight times now and not lost any of them. Sent off against Benfica in the Portuguese cup final in 2020, a goalscorer against them in the Super Cup later the same year, this time he took Liverpool to victory. Not just in this match but perhaps in the tie, edging them towards the Champions League semi-final.
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