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REDS CAN CONTINUE DEFENCE IN STYLE
Liverpool continue the defence of their Champions League trophy in Portugal on Tuesday night and they have every right to feel confident.
Benfica are not a side who should be under-estimated - after all they did knock Manchester United out of the competition - but I do think the draw could have been a lot worse for Rafael Benitez's side.
Any side that can eliminate United from a competition they are desperate to win are worth taking seriously and I'm sure Rafa will have done all his homework ahead of this tie.
From an historical point of view the omens are good because every time Liverpool have played Benfica in Europe they have gone on to reach the European Cup final. Having said that, history doesn't always count for very much and it's what happens over the two games which matters.
I'm sure Liverpool will be looking to win tomorrow, but such is the cauldron of Anfield on a European night that even if they lose by one or two goals in the first leg, I'd still be confident of them going through. The draw has favoured them in terms of the second game being at home because, as we all know, the Liverpool fans really respond on the big European nights.
The first leg will set the scene for the return in two weeks time and Liverpool will know what they have to do against Ronald Koeman's side. The Dutchman has put together a powerful team in Benfica and, after knocking United out, they'll feel they can go a step further and beat the European champions as well. It will be tough for Liverpool, there's no doubt about that, but I think they'll well and truly be in the tie at the end of the first 90 minutes and I wouldn't back against them coming home with a lead to protect at Anfield.
After winning in Istanbul last, Liverpool are one of the leading lights in European football at the moment and, as such, would be considered a major scalp for any side taking them on. Liverpool have always been a big name in the game but now their reputation has been enhanced as well following their glorious victory over AC Milan.
I do think there are bigger and better teams than Liverpool across the continent but, even so, you'd still be foolish to write off their chances of defending their crown as European champions. If I'm being honest then I'd have to say I will be surprised if Benitez leads Liverpool to a sixth European Cup this season, but I really hope I am proved wrong in Paris in May.
I was amazed, like everybody else, when they recovered from a seemingly impossible situation in last year's final to win the Cup. I was at Anfield for the game against Olympiacos when Steven Gerrard kept them in the competition with a late goal. I don't think anyone could have complained had they gone out that night, but the fact they progressed seemed to give them a new lease of life and they certainly made the most of it. They kept beating teams they weren't expected to beat and the whole run gathered an amazing momentum.
I think even the most ardent of Liverpool fans would admit they were surprised to see Steven Gerrard lifting the Cup last season. In my opinion that success probably came a couple of years earlier than anyone could realistically have expected.
If last season taught us anything then it was that you can never write off a Rafa Benitez team and he's got them buzzing at the moment with great victories in the last week over both Arsenal and Manchester United.
For me, Liverpool's strongest area is in midfield and that was proven again in the win over Alex Ferguson's men. With Gerrard, Hamann and Sissoko on the field I felt they were always going to be too strong for United. I wouldn't say the victory was inevitable but it was definitely well deserved and one which sets them up nicely for Tuesday's game as well as the remainder of the Premiership season, where they appear to be battling with United for second place. Whether cup success will work as a psychological victory for the Reds over the rest of the league season remains to be seen though.
The important thing in my opinion is that Liverpool are in the hands of a manager who knows what he is doing and who knows what it takes to achieve success. I wouldn't say I have been amazed by the impact Benitez has made at Liverpool, but I have been surprised with the speed in which success has arrived.
Champions League glory was great for the club and its supporters, but it was also great for Rafa because it gave him immediate credibility in a new country. He was the man who broke the dominance of Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain and now here he was winning the biggest trophy in club football in his first season with a new club.
He'll be confident of going all the way again this year. Hopefully they can keep their dreams alive with a good performance and victory in the Estadio da Luz on Tuesday night. |
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