Record-breaker Rafa hungry for further glory
Benitez will send a Liverpool side into European combat for the 66th time, one more than Shankly achieved, and is now Liverpool’s leading manager – in terms of matches played – in Europe.
And while Benitez admits to being “immensely proud” of his achievement at Anfield, his skipper Steven Gerrard will come surging back into action intent on writing some more history of his own.
Gerrard’s recovery from a torn groin muscle has been sufficient to allow him to start the match tonight, but he may not be risked for the full 90 minutes.
And Gerrard has admitted that he is still driven by a desire to match the 2005 Champions League triumph in Istanbul.
He said: “I’ve got a drive and a hunger to match Istanbul, if not beat it. Obviously Istanbul was mine and the club’s finest hour for a long time. But I do not just want to milk that final. I think I would have regrets if I did not win anything else.”
Benitez feels the same, in the knowledge that a win over Marseille will secure qualification from Group D into the last 16, and if PSV Eindhoven fail to beat Atletico Madrid tonight, Liverpool will qualify anyway.
But it is the association with an achievement of the Shankly era that will inspire Benitez now.
The pair are four games ahead of three-time European Cup winner Bob Paisley on 61, with Gerard Houllier fourth on the list with 52.
Benitez has won 38, drawn 14 and lost 13 of his European games since taking charge in July 2004. His win ratio is 58.5% – bettered only by Paisley (63.9%) and Joe Fagan (73.7%).
Benitez said: “I am really proud to be in such a position so hopefully for the next 66 games I will be here as well. This amount of European games is a good achievement for anyone, but especially when you are talking about a top side like Liverpool.
“That also means the team is doing well in Europe and that is very positive for the club. I am proud, but the game is more important.
“The Champions League is massive and we must progress. Hopefully we can make sure of our qualification in this match and then be able to concentrate on the Premier League.
“There is always great expectation. In my first year here everyone talked of the need to win something or to do well.
“But after winning the Champions League the expectation became too high. Everyone wanted the Premier League, which was hard after so many years without success in that competition.
“It has taken time to build and we are still trying to do it. Now that expectation has increased, people are now saying we have to win it.
“But the competition is so strong it is a very hard thing to achieve.”
Thirteen months ago Marseille won at Anfield and almost wrecked Liverpool’s season, and put Benitez’s future in the job at risk.
But the Spaniard said: “This is different to last season. After losing to Marseille we had one point from three games and had to win everything else. We had to fight right to the end.”
Meanwhile Marseille skipper Lorik Cana has claimed Liverpool are nothing like as good a side when Gerrard is not playing.
The 25 year-old Albanian arrived on Merseyside with the French side aware that Gerrard was close to a return to action following a torn muscle in tonight’s Group D clash at Anfield.
Considering the damage Gerrard has done to Marseille in the last two matches between the sides – both in the south of France – Cana would have been forgiven a wry smile at the thought of the England man storming back into action, hoping to secure the win that will take Liverpool into the last 16.
He said: “Maybe it would help us if he was not playing. But as a professional you always want to play against the very best to see whether you measure up. And he is one of the best in his position in the world.”
Marseille shocked Liverpool in this competition with a 1-0 win at Anfield 13 months ago.
Since then Gerrard has inspired a 4-0 victory in France, scoring the first, and then adding two stunning goals when Liverpool won 2-1 in Marseille in September.
Cana has no doubt of Gerrard’s influence. He said: “Steven Gerrard is the emblem of the club and the talisman of the side. Liverpool without Gerrard are not the same as Liverpool with him in their side.
“He scored two at our place, and was outstanding. We are not sure whether he will be playing and of course you want to play against the very best, to test yourself against someone like that.
“But if he plays it will harder for us, he is certainly one of the best in the world in his position.
“But we do not believe Liverpool are as good without him as they are with him.”
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