Benitez set for waiting game

Champions League/Liverpool v Barcelona:Manchester United won in stoppage-time at Anfield on Saturday, but Liverpool have ambitions to take an even later victory from that match. So far as Rafael Benitez is concerned that defeat will serve his players well if they can repeat the overall performance tonight. With a 2-1 lead from Camp Nou, the side is well placed to knock out the Champions League holders Barcelona.

The manager's message to his men was given a wider airing yesterday. "We played better than them," Benitez remarked. "I said to the players if you can play against United, who are top of the table, and you can control them then that is really positive. When you play against Barcelona you can do the same. Why not?"

Liverpool were steely against United and the manager's emphasis was on avoiding mistakes. "We need to have more concentration this time," he said. The discipline of the line-up is always to the fore in Benitez's mind.

Tonight's encounter is a curious one. A 2-0 win would put Frank Rijkaard's men through to the quarter-finals, but even if Liverpool were to go ahead, two goals for the visitors would still take the tie into extra-time. And the return of Samuel Eto'o, combining with Ronaldinho and the young Argentinian Lionel Messi to make up one of the most feared trident attacks in world football, will make Liverpool's task all the more daunting.

Much as Benitez valued the victory two weeks ago, making maximum use of it is a thought-provoking topic. "It is really difficult when you play against a top side like Barcelona when you come here for the second leg with this advantage," he claimed. "How can you manage the situation? Our aim is to win the game."

The best insight into his likely approach came when he spoke about ways of recording victories. "Some people think that to win the game you always have to (go for) them," he reflected. "Sometimes it is best to wait."

He is right to counsel patience. Barcelona hint their situation is so bad this return match verges on being a write-off. Benitez scoffs, knowing Deco, Lilian Thuram and Eto'o have all enjoyed recent rests precisely in the hope they will give peak performances at Anfield.

The records show a home defeat in the knock-out phase of the Champions League has not been reversed since 1996, when Ajax lost to Panathinaikos 1-0 in Amsterdam before rallying to beat the Greeks 3-0 in the return leg and get to the final. "The statistics are not important when you play against good players," an uninterested Benitez said of that.

His emphasis is on the battle of wits. He was reflecting that Racing Santander's 6ft 7in Serb Nikola Zigic may be the only striker in Spain who is reminiscent of Liverpool's own tall striker. "Peter Crouch is a big problem for them," he said of La Liga clubs. "They don't normally play against that kind of player."

Crouch did cause havoc when Liverpool won an away match with Real Betis in 2005, but Benitez may have been bluffing when he highlighted the attacker. He might as easily prefer to hit on the break through Craig Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt. "They don't know because I don't know," he said when asked if his men had worked out the line-up.

Carles Puyol last night admitted Barcelona would have to muster a "perfect" performance if they are to overcome the deficit. The Catalans' captain conceded patience would be required if the hosts' advantage is to be eroded. "We've got to play our own style and concentrate. We can't go all-out gung-ho . . ., but countering their style would constitute a perfect game for us."

Steven Gerrard has warned his Liverpool team-mates it would be "suicidal" to assume Barcelona arrive as a beaten team, insisting the Merseysiders will have to exceed their stunning efforts at Camp Nou if they are to keep their season alive.

The midfielder was quick to counter against complacency. He insisted their immediate challenge - which will be the first match watched by Liverpools's new owners - is greater even than their task to overcome Milan in the 2005 final.

"We secured the result we wanted in the first leg but you've got to make sure you don't get carried away and think the tie is over," said Gerrard. "This game will be a lot more difficult than the one we faced in the Nou Camp . . . so it would be suicidal for us to go into it overconfident."

Liverpool players made a point of suppressing their public celebrations after ending Barcelona's 13-match unbeaten home run in European competition last week.