Benitez has also dismissed suggestions Liverpool will struggle to score the goals necessary to progress with Torres sidelined.

“I think we showed against West Ham we can score goals without Fernando,” said the Anfield manager. “It doesn’t matter who scores the goals, because as long as we are pushing then we will get the chances to score.”

Of Forlan’s winner, Benitez said: “It was a bad goal for us to concede. But we can’t change that now. We have to analyse and try to improve that for the next game.”

Liverpool thought they had scored an equaliser in the 18th minute when a sliced Dirk Kuyt throughball dropped for Benayoun to slot home. But the Israeli’s celebrations were cut short by an offside flag that television replays indicated was incorrectly raised.

“I am not happy,” said Benitez. “We had two chances in the first half and didn’t take them. And then we had a goal disallowed which should have been allowed so I’m not happy about that. I haven’t seen the replay but I am told that was onside.

“I expected Atletico to be difficult to break down because they have been well organised in cup competitions this season. Everything will now be decided at Anfield where we will go out to fight and have all our supporters behind us.”

Atletico coach Quique Sanchez Flores admitted his frustration that his team had not further capitalised on what he regarded as a Liverpool team “at their worst” in the Vicente Calderon.

“We played well and the only thing that was missing was the second goal,” said Flores. “That would have completed the match.

“But we can’t complain, 1-0 is a good result. In the dressing room the players are optimistic, and they know Anfield will decide who gets to the final.

“We can’t be too confident. Liverpool have had some indifferent results this season and always won through in the second leg at Anfield.

“We know we will have to play very well at Anfield because Liverpool will play with a lot of intensity in that game.”