Rafa Benitez: We’ve struck fear into Euro rivals

Nov 7 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ believes Liverpool’s Champions League rivals will be quaking with fear after a record-breaking triumph at Anfield last night.

The Spaniard’s side thumped Besiktas 8-0 to post the biggest ever win in the competition’s history.

Yossi Benayoun struck a hat-trick, both Peter Crouch and Ryan Babel scored twice and Steven Gerrard was also on target as Liverpool racked up their biggest win in Europe for 27 years since thrashing Finnish part-timers Oulu Palloseura 10-1 in October 1980.

The victory kept alive Liverpool’s Champions League hopes and, with Porto beating Marseille in last night’s other Group A game, they now know they must win their final two games – at home to Porto on November 28 and at Marseille on December 11 – to ensure progress to the knockout stage.

And Benitez reckons his players now have the confidence to avoid the embarrassment of an early exit.

“We showed before this game that we are playing better and creating chances but couldn’t score,” said the Liverpool manager. “So when you score goals and continue playing better you have more confidence and it makes it easier to play better, and that was the difference.

“We knew we needed the early goal because they needed to win also, so when we scored the first goal, it was a little bit more open. Scoring the second goal meant they had to go forward and that made it easier for our strikers and our movements.

“We had the belief before the game that we can qualify before the game, and we know we need to win the next two games and wait and see.

“Porto have to come here, so they will be worried for sure. They will try and get a good result, and they have experience in Europe and will have no problems with the pressure; we must try and put the pressure on the pitch.

“We need to win the game against Porto first. But we have the confidence now and the supporters will believe. Now we just have to play well and win.”

Of Liverpool’s record-breaking margin of victory, Benitez added: “You want to win trophies but if you can get your name in the record books then that gives you a sense of satisfaction.”

Gerrard – who has scored four times in his last six games – is now one strike away from equalling Michael Owen’s European goalscoring record for Liverpool of 22 goals.

Crouch, making only his seventh start of the season, continued his love affair with the Champions League and has now scored 10 goals in the competition.

And Benitez is hopeful the goalscorers will take confidence from last night’s game into league games.

“It’s always important for a player’s confidence to score a goal, so to score two goals or a hat-trick or two is even more important, so it will be good for Crouch, Benayoun and Babel,” he added.

“Crouch’s performance was good, but we must talk about all the team, the strikers were good – Voronin did a fantastic job – the wingers and defenders did well and we kept a clean sheet. Everyone was really good today.

“There are two or three things that we can improve on, but I can’t really say too much about them after a game like that.”

Stunned Besiktas coach Ertugrul Saglam could only apologise to the travelling supporters in a press conference that lasted barely a minute.

“It’s been a very bad night for the football club and our fans,” he said. “It’s upsetting for us and we’d like to say sorry to our fans. It’s difficult to accept the result, but life goes on.

“We know that we are going to have to work harder in the future games, and we will do that.”