The Champions League quarterfinals get underway on Tuesday when one of the title favorites, Liverpool, visit the Cinderella of the tournament, Benfica for their first-leg clash. The Reds are the favorites to win the tie, but Benfica are riding a wave of momentum and confidence after upsetting Ajax in the round of 16. The Portuguese side feature some of the top talent in Europe, but they'll have to match the experience of the Reds to keep pace in a battle expected to produce quite a few goals.
Here's our storylines, how you can watch the match and more:
How to watch and odds
- Date: Tuesday, April 5 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Estadio da Luz -- Lisbon, Portugal
- Live stream: Paramount+
- Odds: Benfica +750; Draw +400; Liverpool -270 (via Caesars Sportsbook)
Tuesday's broadcast schedule
- UEFA Champions League Today, 2 p.m. ET, Paramount+
- Manchester City vs. Atletico Madrid, 3 p.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+
- Benfica vs. Liverpool, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+
- UEFA Champions League Post-Match Show, 5 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+
Wednesday's broadcast schedule
- UEFA Champions League Today, 2 p.m. ET, Paramount+
- Chelsea vs. Real Madrid, 3 p.m. ET, CBS and Paramount+
- Villarreal vs. Bayern Munich, 3 p.m. ET, Paramount+
- UEFA Champions League Post-Match Show, 5 p.m. ET, CBS Sports Network and Paramount+
Storylines
Benfica: Lucas Verissimo and Rodrigo Pinho remain injuried, while Adel Taarabt is the latest injury, though it is not clear as to what kind of knock he picked up. But the side does enter with a day more of rest having played on Friday, though that was a poor showing in a 3-2 loss at Braga. Out of the title race in Portugal already, they can shift their focus to UCL now and look for another upset. To do so, budding superstar striker Darwin Nunez must deliver. He's got 27 goals in 34 games this season.
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Liverpool: The Reds enter the match healthy and hungry, especially after an underwhelming performance over the weekend. A 2-0 win over Watford on Saturday was quite shaky, and that could mean bad news for Benfica as Liverpool look to get into top form again. Sadio Mane came off the bench in that match for Mohamed Salah, and with neither going the full 90 in that game, both are expected to here. Expect Liverpool to have enough chances to produce multiple goals and end this one after the first leg.
Prediction
The Reds put a foot into the semifinals with a convincing road shutout Pick: Liverpool 2, Benfica 0.
