Liverpool vs Benfica Predictions

• Liverpool won the first leg 3-1, and arguably could have won by a bigger margin.
• Liverpool have won eight of their last nine at Anfield, beating a -1 handicap in six of those wins.
• Benfica have scored in each of their last 19 games.
• Sadio Mane has scored in each of his last two appearances.

Liverpool heading for semi-finals

Liverpool hold a commanding 3-1 lead over Benfica ahead of the second leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie at Anfield on Wednesday.

The Reds go into the game after twice fighting back to claim a 2-2 draw at title rivals Manchester City over the weekend, while Benfica claimed a 3-1 win over Belenenses in Lisbon on Saturday thanks to Darwin Nunez’s hat-trick.

Liverpool outclassed the Portuguese outfit in the first leg at the Estadio da Luz last week and they should be able to claim another comfortable win over Benfica on Wednesday in front of their own fans at Anfield.

Handicap markets offer value

Liverpool were deserved winners in the first leg in Portugal and arguably could have won by a bigger margin, and they should be able to beat Benfica with room to spare again on Wednesday.

The visitors have to be more adventurous at Anfield as they have a two-goal deficit to recover, and Liverpool are perhaps the best counter-attacking team in world football right now – as they showed at the Etihad Stadium over the weekend.

Liverpool have won eight of their last nine games at Anfield and six of those wins have come by two or more goals, so they should be able to beat a -1 handicap against a Benfica side who have to commit men forward on Wednesday.

Benfica carry attacking threat

I may be expecting Liverpool to win comfortably, but Benfica should be able to at least grab a goal and a 4-1 win for the home side looks a reasonable option in the correct score market. Benfica have scored in each of their last 19 games, while Liverpool have conceded in four of their last eight at home, so we may well see goals at both ends.

Liverpool haven’t been at their free-scoring best of late and they have only scored more than twice in one of their last 10 games, the first leg in Lisbon. However, they made the most of their chances against City and may be able to grab a few goals against Benfica, who have gone four games without a clean sheet and have shipped eight in total during that run, so I’m backing the hosts to go one better than they did in the first leg and claim a 4-1 success.

Sadio Mane ended a six-game scoring drought for club and country with a goal in the first leg and backed that up with a strike at City over the weekend. The Senegal forward didn’t necessarily put in a great performance in Manchester but he looked sharp when the chance came his way and he stands out as a contender for an anytime goal on Wednesday.