UEFA Champions League: Liverpool beats Benfica 3-1 to take first leg lead in quarterfinals

Liverpool took a firm grip of its Champions League tie with Benfica as goals from Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz earned it a 3-1 victory in Lisbon in its quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Porto winger Diaz, who never lost a match against its bitter rival Benfica, scored on the counter-attack to end the match at 3-1.

Liverpool took a firm grip of its Champions League tie with Benfica as goals from Ibrahima Konate, Sadio Mane and Luis Diaz earned it a 3-1 victory in Lisbon in its quarter-final first leg on Tuesday.

Konate opened the scoring with a close-range header from a corner and Mane extended Liverpool's lead 30 minutes into what was an one-sided first half, with Mohamed Salah, Diaz and Naby Keita all passing up great scoring chances.

AS IT HAPPENED |

Yet five minutes after the break, 22-year-old French defender Konate completely missed a cross and allowed in-form striker Darwin Nunez to score and put Benfica, roared on by a sold-out Estadio da Luz, back into the game.

Benfica gained in confidence and briefly took charge but former Porto winger Diaz, who never lost a match against its bitter rival Benfica, scored on the counter-attack after a Keita through ball.