UEFA Europa League - Benfica v Liverpool:GOALS HAVE flowed for Fernando Torres whether his face has featured a scowl or a smile of late, but the Estadio da Luz will be no place for a loss of focus. The Liverpool striker carries the threat of suspension plus his side's hopes into tonight's Europa League quarter-final against Benfica and Rafael Benitez, encouraged by a lesson learnt against Sunderland on Sunday, is adamant his compatriot will handle both.
Torres is one booking away from a European ban, likewise Javier Mascherano and Emiliano Insua, and has argued with enough referees recently to suggest he could easily talk himself into missing next week’s return. But Sunday was a timely exception from Torres, to complement an exceptional performance, and underlined to the Spain international how best to unleash his frustration. Given Benfica have conceded only 12 league goals all season, Benitez is placing his hopes on a repeat.
“Fernando has experience and he knows what to do,” said the Liverpool manager, who is without Alberto Aquilani in Portugal because of an ankle injury sustained in training yesterday.
“For me, the main difference against Sunderland was that he was on fire from the first minute and you could see he was really enjoying his football. I’m not worried about him picking up a booking. He has experience and he should be okay.”
But Sunderland are no Benfica, who demolished Everton 5-0 here in the group stage and it is the pedigree of the Portuguese league leaders that has stopped Benitez envisaging a reunion with Valencia in the semi-final.
Benfica were the side who ended Liverpool’s hopes of being the first club to successfully defend their Champions League title when they won 1-0 and 2-0 at Anfield in the last 16 of the 2005/06 competition.
Those two games still frustrate Benitez but he knows he has a chance to rectify what he felt was bad luck in the coming two matches.
“It is important to approach the game with confidence. But we can go with confidence knowing we can score – it is very important to score away.”
Benfica coach Jorge Jesus believes the strongest sides left in the competition will be on show tomorrow night. The Portuguese league leaders are in a buoyant mood as they prepare to host the visitors after extending their lead at the top of their domestic table to six points with victory over Braga at the weekend.
Benfica dismantled Liverpool’s Merseyside rivals Everton 5-0 in Lisbon and defeated the Toffees 2-0 in the return game at Goodison Park during the group stages, but coach Jorge Jesus is expecting a more testing examination from the Reds.
He said: “Liverpool are slightly different to Everton. At the beginning of the season, Liverpool were strong candidates in the Champions League and now they are playing in the Europa League.
“Along with Benfica, they are the strongest team in the competition, so the two strongest teams are going to play each other and we are ready for it.”
“Liverpool are the strongest side we will have played in the competition so far, but it will all depend on us – how well we play and if we concentrate,” he added.
Milan Jovanovic has confirmed he will complete a free transfer from Standard Liege to Liverpool once a work permit has been issued.
Guardian Service
