Liverpool travel to Portugal to face table-topping Benfica in the first leg of the Europa League quarter finals.
Benfica represent one of Europe’s best attacking teams, with some stalwart names performing at their best again – recognisably so in Javier Saviola and Pablo Aimar.
Aimar, you will remember, as the prodigious talent whom flourished under Rafa Benitez’s reign at Valancia and was long linked with a move to Anfield to follow his former boss. He joined the Libson outfit for £6m in 2008 and is enjoying success playing in his attacking midfield role behind Saviola and another hot talent in Óscar Cardozo.
Brazilian centre back Luisão gives Benfica a sold defence and former Real Madrid player Javi Garcia holds the midfield. This is a side who sit comfortably sit points clear at the top of the Portuguese Liga Sagres, with a huge goal difference of 49, having conceded just 12 goals in the league and an unbeaten home record.
The last time a team from Merseyside went to the Estádio da Luz they came home having suffered their heaviest defeat in Europe – Everton on the receiving end of a 5-0 hammering. Saviola and Cardoza bagging a brace each that night to dump the Toffees out of Europe.
Liverpool go into the game on the back of a comfortable attacking performance of their own, having seen off Sunderland 3-0 on Sunday.
Rafa Benitez though will be without Maxi Rodriguez, who is cup-tied, meaning Lucas Leiva is likely to come back in alongside Javier Mascherano, with Steven Gerrard supporting Fernando Torres and Dirk Kuyt moving back to the right side.
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