Benitez still believes Liverpool can qualify

By JEROME PUGMIRE,

LYON, France (AP) Coach Rafael Benitez believes it will take a miracle for Liverpool to qualify for the knockout phase of the Champions League.

After Wednesday's 1-1 draw in Lyon, five-time European Cup winner Liverpool is six points behind Lyon and five adrift of Fiorentina with two games to go. If Fiorentina beats Lyon, which is already qualified, in the next round this month, then Liverpool will be out. To stand any chance of qualifying, Benitez's team still must win at Debrecen and then against Fiorentina at Anfield.

"We have done miracles before and we can do it again," a defiant Benitez said after Lyon's last-minute goal denied the Reds a crucial win. "It will be difficult, but we still have a chance. Win our game and see what happens in the other one. We can't be talking about them (Fiorentina and Lyon) if we can't do our job."

Liverpool's fans have had little to cheer with six defeats in the last eight games, but Benitez believes they still trust his players.

"Hearing the fans sing after the game, they know that we were improving and doing better," Benitez said. "Sometimes you have to have luck and we didn't have luck at the end."

Benitez need not worry about Lyon easing up, however.

Lyon coach Claude Puel has promised not to take Fiorentina lightly, and he has good reason not to.

Last season, Lyon finished second in its group behind Bayern Munich and so had to play Barcelona - drawing 1-1 at Stade Gerland and then losing 5-2 to the eventual champions in a rout that caused so much psychological damage it cost Lyon an eighth straight French title.

"We will play the match properly, because we want to finish top of the group as we know what happened to us last year," Puel said. "It's important to keep trying until the end, and to get a good result in Fiorentina that also leaves Liverpool with every chance."

But Liverpool's squad has been decimated by injuries to such an extent that star striker Fernando Torres could do little more than jog and wince through Wednesday's game, looking like anything but the razor-sharp poacher who normally terrifies defenders.

While Benitez decides whether or not Torres needs an operation because of a lingering adductor problem, he is also casting an anxious eye over the fitness of inspirational captain Steven Gerrard, who missed the Lyon match because of a groin injury.

"We had too many problems before the game, so I am quite pleased with the performance. So many players injured and changing positions," Benitez said. "Hopefully for the next game (against Birmingham) we will have (defender Martin) Skrtel available."

Liverpool goalkeeper Pepe Reina saw enough to give him hope that the tide will start turning at Anfield on Monday.

"We have to look at the big picture, I think the team has improved in a difficult moment, a difficult match. I am very optimistic for Birmingham," Reina said. "Even (earlier) in the season we didn't play as well as we did sometimes today. We were really unlucky. We have to look for the positives. The team has played really well under big pressure and we can handle that pressure."

The Spanish goalie is adamant Liverpool will beat Debrecen in Hungary on Nov. 24.

If Fiorentina draws at home to Lyon that night, then the Italian side will have 10 points to Liverpool's seven and all would then rest on Liverpool's final game against Fiorentina on Dec. 9.

Liverpool would need one of its famed glory nights at Anfield to beat Fiorentina by three goals because the free-scoring Italian club beat the Reds 2-0 at home in September.

Fiorentina has netted 11 goals in Group E, Lyon has scored eight, and even Debrecen has scored five - two more than Liverpool.

"We trust in ourselves that we will turn this situation around as we have enough quality," Reina said.

Updated November 4, 2009