Benitez has now explained the thinking behind his pointless subsitution.
"We wanted to keep [Xabi] Alonso in the middle trying to control midfield, because Javier [Mascherano] was going too hard and Lucas is a player that can get into the box really well. He has the quality to deliver a final pass.
"I wanted more quality in the middle. Mascherano is a defensive midfielder, Lucas is more offensive. He can pass the ball and he is more precise.
"You have to think about winning. For me, the best thing was to use wingers and an offensive midfielder that can pass the ball better, because in the last minutes of the game you need someone calm who can pass the ball better. To put more people into the box and start playing long balls is not the solution."