Payback time for Baros, says Benitez
The clubs meet for the first time since the Heysel disaster in the quarter-final first leg at Anfield with Baros back in the fray, despite a three-match domestic ban following his crazy red card against Everton three weeks ago.
Fernando Morientes is cup-tied and four other strikers injured, so Benitez will turn to Baros to give Liverpool hope for the second leg in a week's time in Italy.
Benitez will also have Xabi Alonso in his squad as a last-ditch alternative despite still being a fortnight away from an acceptable fitness level following his broken ankle in October.
Benitez says: "I think Milan owes something to the fans. He knows he needs to play as well as possible because of what happened in the derby.
"He now knows he is an important player for us, we do not have a lot of strikers and I know he wants to play as well as possible and that he can score. He has the potential to win games, he is our top scorer and we need goals. So we need him fit and on his best form."
Baros will probably play as a lone striker, and is acutely aware of what is expected of him. The Czech international, who could well be sold in the summer, said: "Of course I am disappointed about what happened in the derby, I did not want it to happen and it was my first red card in English football.
"So I know that it has damaged the team selection so I owe the fans a good performance when I can play in Europe. I have missed the Bolton game so maybe I am a little fresher than everyone and that could help me in such an important game.
"As for my own future here, all I will say is that the game is an important one for the club, the fans and the players and we all want to go through to the next round. For me I am just focusing on the two matches and the Premiership and not on what may happen to me in the future."
Liverpool certainly go into the Juventus first leg in good spirits after Saturday's victory over Bolton and Everton's defeat 24 hours later at West Brom which reduced the gap between the Mersey pair to just one point in the race for fourth place.
Benitez said: "It is good for us, we have a lot of confidence and it helps our focus in every game now. We can reduce the gap and be in the top four and we can also qualify for the Champions League semi-final, it all comes from this confidence. All the teams left in the competition can win it, we are playing well and we have the same possibilities now as everybody else."
Juventus arrived on Merseyside having been without a game on Saturday when all sporting fixtures in Italy were postponed following the death of the Pope.
Benitez added: "Juventus will probably be fresher but even if our players are tired they must show greater motivation and you can then balance the problem of having played a very hard game at the weekend when Juventus were not in action."
Baros insists his friend and countryman Pavel Nedved is the major danger.
"With Pavel fit now, it becomes more difficult for us. He is one of their best players and it was great to play alongside him in the Euro 2004 finals. He is a great person and he will be the danger for us.
"But then Juventus have a lot of great players - not just Pavel. You can see great players throughout their team, (Alessandro) Del Piero, (Lilian) Thuram, (Zlaten) Ibrahimovic, Pavel and (Gianluigi) Buffon.
"I have played alongside Pavel for so long for my country, he has been a great player and everyone enjoys being in the same team as him. Certainly I would like him to play again for the Czech team."
* UEFA has requested that a minute of silence be observed before kick-off at all European games this week as a mark of respect for Pope John Paul II.
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