If the Reds get past the Portuguese side they would face either Bayern Munich or Villarreal in the semi-final.
Liverpool today know that they will continue their Champions League campaign with a quarter-final date against Portugal’s Benfica, with the first leg set to be played in Lisbon on April 5th or 6th and the return at Anfield on the 12th or 13th.
On the other side of their bracket, Bayern Munich are set to take on Villarreal and the winner of that two-legged tie will face the winner of Liverpool-Benfica. If Liverpool are the side that advances, the first leg would then be played at Anfield.
On the other side of the bracket, Manchester City take on Atletico Madrid and Chelsea take on Real Madrid, with both English sides getting the first leg at home and conceding home advantage in the second leg to their Spanish opponents.
For Liverpool, while the draw dashes any dreams of a marquee final against Bayern Munich, it does set up a potential semi-final clash with the German giants, while the England vs. Spain structure on the other side of the bracket is intriguing.
First, though, is Benfica, and no talk of brackets matters if Liverpool cannot deliver against Portugal’s third-place team. The last time they met was in the quarter finals of the Europa League in 2010, when the Reds advanced 5-3 on aggregate.
