Liverpool received help from Benfica before 2019 Champions League final win

Liverpool’s victory in the 2019 Champions League cemented their status back among Europe’s elite outfits.

It was their first major trophy for seven years – 13 if you’re not counting the League Cup – as the fruits of Jurgen Klopp’s labour finally paid off.

The Reds defeated Tottenham 2-0 in the final in Madrid thanks to goals from Mohamed Salah and Divock Origi.

But did you know that Benfica played a huge part in their success?

The Portuguese side’s B team were recruited by Liverpool to take part in a training match against Klopp’s side a week before the final.

Benfica’s technical director Pedro Marques was friends with Julian Ward, who at the time was the head of loan pathways and football partnerships at Liverpool. 

Marques received a phone call from Ward, who informed him that Liverpool needed an opponent. There was a three-week gap between their last Premier League match and the final in Spain, and they needed to play against a team that would mimic Tottenham’s style.

So Ward asked Marques if Benfica could put a team together and fly to Marbella to take on the soon-to-be European champions.

“We were still in competition,” Marques said in an interview with GOAL. “The B team was about to finish the league season, and I said straight away that this was a fantastic opportunity for us, for the boys, so let’s see if we can do it.”

Marques and Benfica’s coaches were able to gather a competitive group of players, although the name of their opponents was kept a secret.

“I couldn’t even tell the boys where we were going or who we were playing,” Marques added. “I’d agreed with Julian and Liverpool that we would keep it under the radar.

“We managed to keep it a secret until we got to Marbella.”

Once in Marbella, Benfica and