Liverpool's potential Champions League opponent discusses last-16 'preference'
Benfica boss Bruno Lage has admitted he has no preference on who he faces in the last-16 of the Champions League, with a meeting with Liverpool potentially on the horizon.
The Reds have a better idea now of who they could face in the next stage of the competition, with half of the play-off games having now been completed. Benfica played out a dramatic 3-3 draw with Monaco on Tuesday to secure a 4-3 win on aggregate, joining Feyenoord, Club Brugge and Bayern Munich in advancing to the last-16.
Four more teams will join them on Wednesday, with the draw for the next stage of the competition being made on Friday. That's when Liverpool will find out its next opponents, and have its path to the final mapped out.
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Benfica is one of the Reds' potential opponents in the last-16. The Portuguese side is guaranteed to meet one of Liverpool or Barcelona due to their respective finishes during the league phase, with one of Paris Saint-Germain or Brest facing the other.
Pressed on which team he'd rather face in the next round, former Wolves boss Lage insisted the thought hadn't crossed his mind yet.
'A preference? To be honest, I haven't thought about it yet,' Lage said. 'If we want to win, we have to beat everyone, so everyone can come. It doesn't matter if it's Liverpool or Barcelona.
'Reaching the last 16 is a new milestone for Benfica. That is an important moment and our ambition is to get as far as possible in the competition.
'I know Barcelona and Liverpool very well, but I have no preference. We are now focusing on our next match against Boavista, so that we can perform at a good level.'
Liverpool.com says: Lage might not have a preference, but most Liverpool would probably say they would prefer to meet Benfica in the last-16, given PSG looks almost certain to be the other option. The French champion holds a 3-0 lead from the first leg against Brest, with the second leg taking place in Paris.
Benfica though has shown it can be a real threat, having already put four past Barcelona this season - albeit in a losing cause. Of course, Liverpool will know it will need to overcome some big tests if it is to win the Champions League this season, and the Reds have already shown they should have nothing to fear, whoever they come up against.
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