Benitez pins European hopes on Anfield form - Post

Liverpool Daily Post, 29 Sept 2004
Benitez pins European hopes on Anfield form
By Andy Hunter, Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ admitted Liverpool will have to maintain their 100% record
at Anfield to qualify for the knockout stages of the Champions League after
Olympiakos condemned them to defeat in Athens last night.

A first-half header by Ieroklis Stoltidis saw the Greeks leapfrog Liverpool
into pole position in Group A as Benitez's side produced another poor away
display.

The group has been thrown wide open after the second round matches with
Monaco recovering from their Anfield upset to beat Deportivo La Coruna at
Stade Louis II.

And after a third successive away defeat Benitez, (pictured), who also
questioned his players' commitment in Athens, admitted he can only count on
Liverpool's home form to carry them into the knockout rounds.

The Liverpool manager said: "As far as the group goes, now every team has a
chance of qualifying so the home games will be very important for us now
and I think we have to win them both.

"In the first half we did not create many opportunities but after the break
we did produce more dangerous situations around their box.

"But it was difficult to find space against a very aggressive team who were
one ahead. But we did become more dangerous as the game went on.

"My definition of being aggressive is that they were fighting for every
ball and sometimes we did not. But for me now the home games are very
important, whoever wins them will have a great chance of qualifying."

Liverpool made a slugglish start at the intimidating Georgios Karaiskakis
Stadium and despite a second-half improvement Olympiakos goalkeeper
Antonios Nikopolidis did not have a save to make all night.

Benitez admitted: "When you lose like that it is always very disappointing.

"We gave away a lot of possession, we had plenty but did not keep it. In
the second half we were a lot better, we were more aggressive and created
more possibilities.

"Until they scored they had not created anything, but after their goal the
game changed.

"They were confident, they had more opportunities.

"The goal was unfortunate, the cross when it came over clipped a player and
changed direction, making it very difficult for Sami Hyypia to clear."

He added: "Their fans were very supportive, but we to have that level of
support at Liverpool where our fans give us fantastic support just as those
of Olympiakos did and they will count at Anfield."

Olympiakos coach Dusan Bajevic said: "My players did exactly what they were
told to do, they were very disciplined and we were able to beat a great
team like Liverpool.

"But I must thank our fans for their help, their extreme support over those
final minutes when we were down to 10 men helped us to achieve our victory.

"This win is so important to us as far as qualifying is concerned. We are
close now but the job is not over yet.

"This was our best performance of the season, and we felt we should have
had things sewn up earlier.

"The fact that we could not get the second goal put us under a lot of
pressure in those final minutes but in the end we coped."

Meanwhile Monaco beat Deportivo 2-0 with goals from Mohamed Kallon and
Javier Saviola.