Rafa delight as Reds claim vital win in Toulouse
The Liverpool manager watched as his free signing from Bayer Leverkusen netted the only goal in the away leg of their qualifying tie against Toulouse.
Said Benitez: “Andriy scored a wonderful goal, it summed up his qualities as a very fine striker.
“He is clever, has great game awareness and gives us so many more options in attack. He can play behind a main striker, lead the line himself, or come into the attack from the flanks.
“And of course he can score truly great goals like that. But we must not think this tie is over.
Liverpool will now be expected to secure their passage through to the last 16 in a fortnight at Anfield — even if Benitez was predictably cagey about the second leg.
The Spaniard added: “We must not think we are already through. This tie is not yet over, it is just one goal. We know they are a very good side who like to hit teams on the counter-attack, which is what they will try to do at Anfield.”
The only worry for Benitez could be skipper Steven Gerrard’s reaction to a heavy second-half tackle that saw him limp away with an ankle problem.
Benitez said: “We shall have to wait and see about that, I do not know yet whether it is a problem.”
Benitez delivered on his promise to rotate his squad, making six changes from the side which beat Villa on the opening day of the Premier League season.
Peter Crouch — unhappy at his omission on Saturday — was in the starting line-up, alongside Yossi Benayoun, Sami Hyypia, Ryan Babel, Javier Mascherano and Voronin.
Said Crouch, who’s headed flick set up Voronin’s winner: “I managed to flick it on and from there in was all about Andriy. It was a superb finish and fitting to win any match.
“It was extremely hot out there. Maybe the performance could have been better but it was a great result.
“I was disappointed not to be involved in the first game but the manager’s proved he does like to rotate.”
“I’m sure there will be changes again when we play Chelsea.
“I gave up a year-and-a-half ago trying to second-guess his teams. You can never tell which team he’s going to play.”
Toulouse coach Elie Baup conceded that his team found the searing heat and quality of opposition a problem.
He said: “In those conditions it is hard to keep running and trying to create when you are playing against a side with such experience and quality.
“Our players lack the experience of playing in this competition and they found Liverpool’s ability and technical quality hard to cope with out there.”
Douchez, Ebondo (Sissoko 83), Mathieu, Cetto, Fofana, Paulo Cesar (Gignac 69), Sirieix, Emana, Dieuze, Elmander, Bergougnoux (Mansare 46).
Reina, Finnan, Carragher, Hyypia, Arbeloa, Benayoun (Riise 59), Gerrard (Sissoko 65), Mascherano, Babel, Voronin (Torres 78), Crouch.
Kyros Vassaras (Greece).
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