Preview, odds and Liverpool v Benfica betting tips
Jurgen Klopp’s men have catapulted themselves into second favourites for European honours in our Champions League winner odds as we pick out some Liverpool v Benfica betting tips for the second leg on Merseyside
The Reds will be hoping to hammer home the two-goal advantage they gained in the first leg in Lisbon and are 3/10 to make it back-to-back victories over their Portuguese rivals on home soil, although there is little value in backing them to qualify for the last four at 1/200, which goes to show how imperious they were at the Estadio da Luz.
Benfica disposed of Ajax in the last 16, but the ground work was done on their home patch and having lost the first leg 3-1, are up against it at 9/1 to win in 90 minutes. It is even bigger for them to shock the six-time European Cup winners and make the semi-finals at 28/1.
Wednesday’s quarter-final second leg at Anfield kicks off at 8pm and is live on BT Sport.
Reds eyeing quadruple
With one trophy already locked away in the Anfield trophy cabinet for the season, Klopp has his eye on even more silverware as the campaign makes its way to the business end and Liverpool find themselves heading on a path to an unprecedented quadruple.
They remain just one point behind Premier League leaders Manchester City following Sunday’s 2-2 draw at the Etihad Stadium, have made the semi-finals of the FA Cup and are just four games away from a first Champions League final since 2019.
The Reds have been at their brilliant best this season and with Mo Salah on his way to his most prolific season in a Liverpool shirt, it is hard to see how they fail to add at least one more trophy to their collection.
They have an attacking line that is the envy of most and it will be some effort for the hosts to keep them quiet. Over 2.5 goals in the match is only 4/9 in Liverpool v Benfica betting tips, but the hosts can be backed at 3/10 to score two or more themselves in this quarter-final tie.
If their attack is what claims the headlines, their defenders are the unsung heroes having kept a clean sheet in four of their last five. It is 5/4 for Virgil Van Dijk and co to keep things tight at the back, with a win to nil for the Red priced up at 7/5.
Time is right for Salah to strike
Salah has scored a whopping 20 goals in 28 games in the Premier League season and added another eight in nine in the Champions League.
However, he has scored just one in his last 10 appearances in all competitions for club and country, which is well below the high standards the Egyptian king sets himself.
Liverpool will be grateful that they now have five top-class forwards in their ranks and while Salah has struggled, the likes of Diogo Jota and new signing Luis Diaz have thrived.
Diaz was on the scoresheet in the first leg, as was Mane, and Liverpool’s firepower could mean they pepper the Benfica goalmouth at Anfield.
Looking at some #YourCall options then Liverpool to win either half, score over 1.5 goals and also keep a clean sheet appeals at 2/1, while Salah to score anytime, Jota to find the net and the Reds to win is 11/4 in Liverpool v Benfica betting tips.
Eagles to go down fighting
Benfica have held their own in Europe this season, qualifying out of a group containing both Bayern Munich and Barcelona, and defying the odds against Ajax to kick off their knockout stage campaign.
However, their luck may run out at the last-eight stage and they will have to score at least two goals in Liverpool to have any chance of advancing.
It is 16/5 for them to score two or more goals in Liverpool v Benfica betting tips, while if they are to qualify then Benfica and over 2.5 might need to land at 12/1.
