Pepe Reina: We don't fear anyone

Dec 13 2007 by Ian Doyle, Liverpool Daily Post

CONFIDENT Pepe Reina believes Liverpool have nothing to fear in the Champions League following their masterclass in Marseille.

The Anfield outfit booked their place in the knockout stages of the competition with a memorable 4-0 win in France on Tuesday to complete a remarkable recovery after gaining just one point from their first three Group A games.

As runners-up to Porto, Liverpool now face being handed a testing encounter in the last 16 against either AC Milan, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Barcelona or Sevilla when the draw is made a week tomorrow.

Liverpool scored 16 goals and conceded just one in winning their final three group games to clinch an unlikely qualification.

And with Rafael Benitez’s side having already beaten both AC Milan and Barcelona in recent years, Reina reckons: “Now we have a Spanish or Italian team and we know it is going to be very difficult whoever we get, especially with the second game being away from home. But this is a difficult competition, with only the best teams around left in it now. We trust in ourselves because we have been in two finals in the last three seasons and we are one of the favourites.

“We know what we are capable of so of course we are confident. In the past in this competition we have beaten Barcelona, Juventus, Chelsea and of course Milan, who are all top, top teams. It will be tough but we are confident in ourselves and what we can do.”

However, Fernando Torres – whose 11th-minute wonder goal was the highlight of a fantastic Liverpool performance – has eyes on only one possible opponent.

“I hope that we draw Real Madrid, that would be a great tie,” he said.

“We have a chance to play a team from Spain or Italy, but playing Madrid would be really good. It would be better to play a Spanish side than an Italian one, although it would not be bad to meet Milan and gain some revenge for the final last season.”

Liverpool’s comprehensive triumph at the Stade Velodrome inflicted Marseille’s heaviest-ever home defeat in European competition.

And Reina reckons: “It was the best performance I have seen since I have been at this club. That was brilliant in terms of being so complete. We were great going forward, narrow and compact in defence and all round that made it a very easy game.

“This group was so tight that if you weren’t at 100% in every game, it was very easy to drop points.

“We have felt the pressure over the last three games, because we knew what was at stake, but we have come through it okay. We knew what we had to do and we’ve done it.”

The victory came amid continued speculation surrounding Benitez’s future. The Spaniard has been under pressure ever since making public the fall-out with American owners George Gillett and Tom Hicks over transfer strategy.

The two parties will meet in the coming days, but Reina insists the players made their own statement on the manager on Tuesday night.

“The manager is just trying to do his job and we are trying to play as well as we can on the pitch,” said the goalkeeper. “For the past two weeks we have just been trying to focus on what we have to do out there, because that’s the only place we can do our talking – and we did a lot in Marseille.

“The manager is a really cold man, he knows what to do at any moment in a game.

“And as far as the pressure is concerned, we are all always under pressure because we represent Liverpool and have to win every game. We are favourites in virtually every one we play – that’s what you have to handle every week at this club.”