Michael Owen has tipped Liverpool to return home from their Champions League quarter-final clash with Benfica in Lisbon with a 3-1 lead.
The Portuguese outfit will visit Anfield next Wednesday in the return leg and although Benfica defeated Ajax in the previous round of Europe’s premier competition, our former striker believes the Reds will have too much for Nelson Verissimo’s side.
“This should be a good tie for Liverpool. Benfica are a decent side, and that was a brilliant result for them in the last round, knocking out Ajax,” Owen told BetVictor (via Anfield Central).
“I am going for a 3-1 win [for Liverpool].”
There is never an easy game in the Champions League, especially in the knockout stages, but Benfica, alongside Villarreal, are one of the clubs that on paper don’t look as strong as the other sides remaining in the competition.
We head into the tie as clear favourites but Virgil van Dijk has warned his teammate that tonight’s game in the Portuguese capital certainly won’t be easy.
The No. 4 also made supporters aware that Benfica defeat Barcelona 3-0 in the group stages earlier this season in an attempt to outline the threat that they will pose.
Jurgen Klopp does have a fully fit squad to choose from for tonight’s match and the German has made a number of changes from the side that defeated Watford at the weekend.
The 54-year-old knows how much the Champions League means to Liverpool supporters, though, and he’ll be purely focused on ensuring we get a result tonight before even thinking about the crunch Premier League clash with Pep Guardiola’s side at the Etihad on Sunday.
Let’s hope Owen’s score prediction is right, scoring three goals away from home in Europe is a great achievement, even if the away goals rule no longer applies.
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