Liverpool take a two-goal lead into the Champions League quarter-final second leg at Anfield after a comfortable 3-1 victory over Benfica in Lisbon.
Ibrahima Konate got the visitors into the lead after rising higher than everyone following a corner kick taken by Andrew Robertson, then Sadio Mane added a second after his well taken strike to dampen the mood at a lively Estadio da Luz in a dominant first half.
The home fans were raucous again shortly after the interval when Konate's mistake afforded sought-after striker Darwin Nunez space to pull one back for the Portuguese outfit and make it a contest again.
Any hope of a comeback for the hosts was dashed after Luis Diaz scored late on to put Jurgen Klopp's side in control of the encounter but they could have been out of sight were it not for a number of fine saves from Benfica goalkeeper Odysseas Vlachodimos.
Liverpool's progress in Europe now looks set but it was not totally comfortable for the visitors until Diaz skipped round goalkeeper Vlachodimos to score his side's third with three minutes to go in the encounter.
But the Premier League side will have a healthy advantage when they welcome Benfica in the second leg next Wednesday.
