[lfc-news] Benitez trains sights on Istanbul reprieve - Post

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Liverpool Daily Post, 9 May 2005
Benitez trains sights on Istanbul reprieve
By Andy Hunter, Daily Post

RAFAEL BENITEZ admitted the Champions League final could define
Liverpool's season after one route back into Europe's premier
competition closed on the Anfield club yesterday.

Liverpool's faint hopes of beating Everton to fourth place were
extinguished when they slumped to their 11th away defeat of the season
at Arsenal.

Benitez's men now must beat AC Milan on May 25 to remain in the
Champions League next season as holders.

And though he accepts Istanbul offers the final chance of a tangible
reward for Liverpool this season, the Anfield manager believes the club
are making progress regardless of the outcome.

"We will try to win the Champions League. We need to win the game, it is
our last opportunity to do a good season," admitted Benitez.

"Whatever happens though, this season has not been a failure. How many
times can you play in the final of the Champions League? How many times
can you have a Champions League final and a Carling Cup final during a
manager's first season?

"We will remain positive. Real Madrid finished fifth one season and won
the Champions League, the next season they won the league.

"Maybe we can close the gap next season, I am confident we will, but we
cannot start thinking of the future now. The players have to think about
the next league game and then the final. That is a massive game."

Liverpool again suffered from post-European fatigue as they failed to
repeat the resilience that kept Chelsea at bay.

Benitez explained: "There is a big difference between Tuesday night and
today, Chelsea and Arsenal are different teams with different styles.

"But in 14 games this season after the Champions League we have won only
two. We will analyse those statistics. We haven't played well away from
home all season.

"That has been very disappointing. Last season the team drew a lot of
games away. This season we have lost them. It is a big difference when
you are dropping two points with each game."

Benitez continued: "We have not played well away from Anfield and that
is the difference between us and Arsenal at the moment."

Robert Pires and Jose Antonio Reyes gave Arsenal a comfortable
first-half lead before Steven Gerrard's 51st-minute free-kick sparked a
belated recovery from Liverpool only for Francesc Fabregas to claim a
third in stoppage time.

Benitez said: "We started well.

"In the first 15 minutes we had a few opportunities but lost control
with the final pass.

"Then when we conceded the first goal we played with our heads down for
30 minutes.

"We knew we needed three goals in the second half and we tried until the
very end with a high tempo.

"We scored one and we could have scored more."

The Liverpool manager refused to be drawn on pre-match criticism from
Arsene Wenger, who claimed Benitez's side were "lucky" to be in the
European Cup final.

"We have played really well in the Champions League games.

"I have some videos he can look at if he likes!" added Benitez.

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