Klopp rotates his rich resources to set Liverpool on fine footing for City

The search for more silverware will only get harder for Liverpool from here on in, warned Jürgen Klopp in Lisbon, but it was with unmistakable and understandable relish that his thoughts turned to what might prove the first of three defining matches with Manchester City this season.

Benfica went perfectly on Tuesday, the opening 25 minutes of the second half notwithstanding, in terms of a Champions League quarter-final first leg result away from home, preparation for a potentially decisive moment in the Premier League title race on Sunday, and beyond.

Liverpool will arrive at the Etihad Stadium with another slice of club history to their name. The 3-1 win at Estadio da Luz was their eighth consecutive victory on the road in all competitions, a new Liverpool record, and while Klopp spoke of his team “really digging deep and fighting with all they have” to extend the sequence in Portugal, overall it was Liverpool’s most commanding performance for several weeks. That is not to suggest City will be anywhere near as compliant as Benfica were in an almost one-sided first half, however.

Klopp utilised and rotated his rich resources to telling effect once again. Jordan Henderson, Joël Matip, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota started on the bench – only Matip remained there throughout – ahead of the City game when all will be in contention to return. Trent Alexander-Arnold was given a valuable 89 minutes to rediscover his rhythm and truly outstanding passing range after a hamstring injury, likewise Naby Keïta, who offered creativity, bite and threat from midfield, following his recovery from a knee problem.

For the second Champions League away game in succession it was a triple substitution – and not the quintuple – that enabled