Benitez promises best side of pumped-up Pool

MANAGER Rafael Benitez has promised Liverpool will be at their Champions League best rather than Premiership worst when they confront Chelsea in the first leg of their momentous European semi-final at Stamford Bridge tonight.

The Spaniard has wrestled with a sharply contrasting season in which Liverpool have been an away-day disaster domestically but have produced some stunning triumphs on the continent.

It may only be a short flight to London for the players this time but the Spaniard insists they will produce a display to confound the critics.

Benitez believes Xabi Alonso and Steven Gerrard playing together is the key to beating Chelsea.

The opportunity to pair the influential midfielders is a luxury Benitez has been denied for much of the season because of injury.

But now the Liverpool chief believes the pair can combine to shock Jose Mourinho’s side.

Alonso is only just back from a broken ankle, which he suffered after a tackle by Frank Lampard when Chelsea won at Anfield on New Years’ Day.

The Spain playmaker was rested from Saturday’s depressing defeat at Crystal Palace, but Benitez has declared Alonso fit to partner skipper Gerrard.

Benitez, who has been able to use the pair in tandem little more than a dozen times this season, said: “It is harder for us against teams like Chelsea in the league. It is all about a squad and they have an excellent one and have spent a lot of money.

“But over just two games it will also be different and we have Alonso and Gerrard playing together for 90 minutes, something we have not had too often this season. That will make it more difficult for Chelsea.

It will be Alonso’s first meeting with Lampard since the injury ruled him out for four months, but he insists: “Facing Frank Lampard is no problem, my broken ankle was one of those things. But we know we must control the midfield, it is always a battle there and the team that wins that battle wins the match.”

Liverpool arrived in London yesterday and trained at Stamford Bridge with Alonso, Milan Baros and Luis Garcia all in action despite recent injuries.

Baros is the biggest worry after the four stitches in his knee from the clash with Palace, but Benitez added: “Baros will train and then we will see, I think he will be okay but we will talk with the doctors because he still has some pain.

“We are preparing a lot of things, against Chelsea you must prepare a lot of things and Baros is one of them.

“We have played well against Chelsea in the last three games, I believe we can beat them. It is not a question of psychology, it is a question of being prepared and to play well and be compact as a team and be confident.

The marked difference between Liverpool’s domestic and European form will also be the crucial factor.

Alonso added: “It is hard to tell why we play so differently in the Premier League and the Champions League. I suppose in Europe we have the motivation”

Benitez said: “For me it is easy to motivate the players for a Champions League match. I suppose we play with more confidence, in the league it is different but we know that over the next week or so we can achieve something big.”