UEFA Champions League, Quarter-final: It's Benfica's Defence Vs Liverpool's Attack - First Leg Preview

Facing another free-flowing attack, Benfica will take on Liverpool in the Champions League likely betting on the same defensive formula that worked so well against Ajax. (More Football News)

Benfica hosts Liverpool in the first leg of the quarterfinals on Tuesday in Lisbon, with the English club bringing another attacking-minded squad similar to Ajax바카라�s.

Liverpool has the competition바카라�s fourth-best offense, while Ajax had the third-best attack after being held by the Portuguese team in the last 16.

Benfica바카라�s low defensive block and quick transitions worked well for a 3-2 aggregate win against Ajax, putting the team back in the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.

바카라�We can suppress Liverpool바카라�s strengths,바카라� Benfica coach Nélson Veríssimo said. 바카라�Like any team, they have weaknesses that we can take advantage of.바카라�

After a 2-2 draw in the first leg in Portugal, Benfica comfortably sat deep in the return leg. Ajax had more touches and crosses than almost any other team in the round of 16, but could not get past a Portuguese defense that played with several players behind the ball.

Ajax only got two shots on target from 16 attempts, while Benfica scored on its only attempt on goal 바카라� Darwin Núñez바카라�s 77th-minute header that secured the 1-0 victory.

바카라�We knew we were going to suffer and we did,바카라� Núñez said after the match.

Benfica, a two-time European champion, is near the top in defensive statistics in the Champions League this season, including in clearances and tackles. The team also resorted to solid defending and quick transitions to defeat and help eliminate five-time European champion Barcelona in the group stage.

Benfica had to contain a red-hot Sébastien Haller against Ajax. Now it will have to stop the likes of Mohamed Salah, Digo Jota, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané.

바카라�We have to recognize that Liverpool is a team with great collective and individual competence, with a great coach, and that will force us to be at a very high level in both games,바카라� Veríssimo said. 바카라�It바카라�s going to be a tricky tie but, as I said with Ajax, it바카라�s going to be 50-50.바카라�

Liverpool바카라�s only loss in this season바카라�s Champions League came in the second leg against Inter Milan in the last 16, when 바카라� like Ajax 바카라� it dominated possession but couldn바카라�t get many attempts on target in a 1-0 setback at home. It was still enough to advance after a 2-0 victory in Italy in the first leg.

Benfica is hoping for a repeat of its triumph over Liverpool 16 years ago, when the team eliminated the then-defending champions with a 1-0 win at home and a 2-0 victory in England.

바카라�It바카라�s possible to repeat history,바카라� former player and current Benfica director Simão Sabrosa, who scored one of the goals in England, told BTV. 바카라�Of course it바카라�s scary to look at Liverpool바카라�s team, but we start at 0-0 and 11 against 11. And playing at home we will have a great support from our fans.바카라�

Liverpool got the best of Benfica in the Champions League quarterfinals in 2010, advancing after losing 2-1 in Lisbon and winning 4-1 at home in the return match.

This time, Liverpool coach Jurgen Klopp will have a full squad available for the first time since he took charge of the team in 2015.

Benfica hasn바카라�t gone past the quarterfinals since 1990, before the new Champions League era had begun. The closest it got to the semifinals recently was in 2016, when it was eliminated by Bayern Munich in the last eight.

Veríssimo is expected to count on all of its players for Tuesday바카라�s match, including Morocco international Adel Taarabt, who had been out injured.

Benfica started this year바카라�s Champions League campaign in the third qualifying round. It had been unbeaten in nine straight matches in all competitions before losing at Braga in the Portuguese league on Friday.