Liverpool bank on Benfica turnaround

Liverpool FC did not fall behind in any of the three knockout rounds leading up to last year's final of the UEFA Champions League but the defending champions now find themselves needing to claw back SL Benfica's 1-0 lead from the first leg at the Estádio da Luz.

First concession
• Brazilian defender Luisão scored with a header from Petit's 84th-minute free-kick to give Ronald Koeman's team a slender advantage ahead of the Anfield return. It was the first goal the English team had conceded in the competition since 13 September.

Good form
• Only once have the Merseysiders failed to beat opposition from Portugal at home. That came in the 2001/02 UEFA Champions League first group stage when Boavista FC held them to a 1-1 draw. The previous four tussles – three against Benfica, the other against FC Porto – all resulted in victory.

• Since losing at home to Valencia CF in October 2002 Liverpool have played nine games at Anfield in the UEFA Champions League proper and have not tasted defeat. Their record shows six wins and three draws. Including qualifying games their record in 12 games is W8 D3 L1.

Unbeaten record
• Having advanced through all three qualifying rounds, Liverpool emerged from the group stage unbeaten, winning three and drawing three of their six games to top the section. They began Group G with a 2-1 win away to Real Betis Balompié where Arzu's strike for the Spanish hosts proved to be the only time the Liverpool defence was breached in the competition proper before Luisão struck.

This time last year
• On their way to last season's success, Liverpool's first in the UEFA Champions League and their fifth in the European Champion Clubs' Cup overall, they had cruised past Bayer 04 Leverkusen in the first knockout round, winning both legs 3-1. Luis García was on target three times over the two games.

Always Liverpool
• If the Portuguese champions avoid defeat at Anfield it will alter the course of history because on the three previous occasions the teams have clashed in home-and-away format, Liverpool have always come out on top and each time have gone on to reach the final.

• Benfica will hope to match the result on their last-but-one visit to England rather than the other eight occasions in which they encountered defeat every time. Their sole success came at Highbury in the 1991/92 European Cup second round when they recorded a 3-1 win against Arsenal FC. Their eight defeats include the 4-1 defeat by Manchester United FC at Wembley in the 1967 European Cup final.

Twice winners
• Benfica have still to win a game away from home in the UEFA Champions League. However, they have shown durability on their travels - ten games producing six draws and four defeats. Their immediate quest is to claim a quarter-final berth for the second time, matching their achievement in the 1994/95 season. The Portuguese side were the first to break Real Madrid CF's hegemony in Europe, winning the European Cup in 1960/61 and again the following season.

Difficult group
• They had a difficult group-stage campaign, two defeats dimming their prospects before they rallied to stun Manchester United on Matchday 6 and clinch second place behind Villarreal CF. It did not look promising when Paul Scholes shot United ahead with only six minutes on the clock. Benfica came back strongly and Geovanni and Beto fired the goals which enabled Koeman's team to progress.

Second crown
• The previous meetings between the sides which Liverpool will recall so fondly began in the 1977/78 European Cup quarter-final when Liverpool posted two wins: 2-1 in Lisbon and 4-1 at Anfield. After progressing to the final they then overcame Club Brugge KV 1-0 to retain the trophy they had won for the first time the previous year.

Rampant away
• Six seasons later and at the same stage, Liverpool notched a 1-0 home win and followed it up with a 4-1 away victory in the Estádio da Luz in which Ronnie Whelan scored twice. The final again saw Liverpool colours raised in triumph after they beat AS Roma on penalties, the game having ended 1-1 after extra time.

A Rush job
• The following season the teams were drawn out of the hat together again, this time in the second round with Benfica claiming their one and only victory against the Merseyside club in six attempts. However, Liverpool's 3-1 win in the first game, courtesy of Ian Rush's hat-trick, meant that Benfica's 1-0 win in the return was not enough. Despite reaching another final Liverpool failed to add to their tally of title triumphs as Juventus came out on top by a single goal.

Knockout format
• Clubs play two matches against each other on a home and away basis, with the team scoring the greater aggregate of goals qualifying for the next round. In the event of both teams scoring the same number of goals, the team which scores more goals away qualifies. If this proves inconclusive, extra time of two periods of 15 minutes is played after the second match. If during extra time both teams score the same number of goals, the away goals count double (ie. the visiting team advances). If no goals are scored during extra time, the winner is decided by penalty kicks.