Konate nodded in his first Liverpool aim from a corner earlier than Mane tapped domestic to place Liverpool in command on the Estadio da Luz.
Benfica made a game of it early in the second half of while a Konate blunders allowed the lively Darwin Nunez to tug one back, however Luis Diaz, who changed into extraordinary all night, introduced a overdue 0.33 to put Liverpool in sight of the semis.
Liverpool will be supremely assured of completing the activity at Anfield subsequent week, with Jurgen Klopp comfortable enough to take off Mohamed Salah, Mane and Thiago Alcantara after an hour.
Salah, mainly, become genuinely being preserved for Sunday, whilst Liverpool face Manchester City in what should prove to be the decisive healthy inside the Premier League's neck-and-neck name race.
Benfica are dotted among a Liverpool-City league and cup double-header, with the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley coming after the second one leg next week, earlier than Klopp's team keep a crunch period with league games towards Manchester United and neighborhood opponents Everton.
Liverpool's convincing victory may additionally offer Klopp the posh of rotating gamers for the go back leg subsequent week.
Klopp has been downplaying pointers Liverpool ought to yet win an historic quadruple this term.
"We are not favourites in one of the competitions we're in, however who cares? We will deliver it a strive," he stated in a press conference on Monday.
But this contest confirmed the gulf between the Premier League's heavyweights and a number of the antique, European elite. Despite a 20-minute surge in the 2d half, Benfica had been truly 2d best.
