Michael Owen has admitted that Luis Diaz – the Liverpool hero against Benfica – may not start against Manchester City as he first predicted.
Liverpool’s January signing from Porto starred on Tuesday in his first appearance back in Portugal. He got an assist for Sadio Mane’s goal in the Champions League quarter-final, before handing the Reds a crucial 3-1 lead at the death.
Ibrahima Konate had opened the scoring from an Andy Robertson corner before Mane’s second.
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s ball was magnificent to find Diaz, who headed onto Mane to make it 2-0 to Liverpool.
Benfica hit back through Darwin Nunez and the visitors became sloppy as they were put under more pressure. However, Diaz scored at the death to restore Liverpool’s crucial two-goal advantage heading into the second leg at Anfield.
But before next Wednesday, the Reds play Manchester City in a mouthwatering Premier League title showdown. Owen insisted that he expected Diaz to start on Sunday, but has now changed his mind.
“The way Jurgen Klopp manages his substitutes would suggest maybe not. Bringing Mo Salah off, Sadio Mane off,” the pundit told BT Sport.
“You would think [Diogo] Jota would have to play, he’s been playing well recently and didn’t start today, so potentially not.
“Before the game I thought he [Diaz] might do actually, but based on that today – leaving him on for the full game – he might be thinking of the other three.”
Whoever Klopp picks, he will not expect…
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