"We are not afraid of them" - Benfica star confident that the team can get a good result against Liverpool at Anfield

Benfica striker Darwin Nunez was upbeat after their 3-1 loss to Liverpool in the Champions League on Tuesday.

The Uruguayan was on target for the home side early into the second half but it wasn't enough to keep the Eagles afloat.

They now go into the second leg at Anfield next week with a two-goal deficit, although Nunez insisted his team aren't afraid to take them on once again.

While the 22-year-old admitted he was disappointed with the overall result, the striker refused to concede defeat in the tie.

Speaking after the game, as cited by Anfield Watch's Twitter account, Nunez said:

"Liverpool are a great team, but we are not afraid of them. We will work to get a good result in the second leg. I'm not happy that I scored, what I want here is to win titles, not score goals. I go home sad. Yes, we wanted more, but it was not possible. We are confident, this was demonstrated in the second half."

Goals from Ibrahima Konate and Sadio Mane gave the Reds a comfortable 2-0 lead before the break.

Nunez made it 2-1 in the 49th minute as Benfica looked to produce a comeback but Luiz Diaz put the match beyond doubt in the penultimate minute of normal time.

The Uruguayan can still be proud of his performance as he was a huge thorn in Liverpool's flesh with his pace, directness and precocious dribbling.

Before the game, Jurgen Klopp heaped praise on Nunez for being a "top" player and earmarked him as the next big thing in La Celeste's national side.

He said:

"He's a good striker. The next one from Uruguay, I don't know how they play together Cavani, Suarez, and him. In one team, that's probably a challenge as well to put that in place. But, it's a top, top boy."

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Liverpool have one foot in the semis

Although the away goals have been scrapped, Liverpool still appear to have one foot in the semifinals, where they could face Bayern Munich.

For Benfica to overturn this deficit, they'd have to win by a three-goal margin at Anfield, while winning by two would force extra-time.

The Reds haven't lost by three goals or more in the Champions League at home since their 3-0 defeat to Real Madrid back in October 2014.

The Portuguese side will pose a huge threat once again but it's unlikely that Klopp's well-oiled unit will relinquish their healthy lead.