Benitez: We can still qualify
Rafael Benitez cut a frustrated figure on the touchline last night
Thursday, 25, Oct 2007 12:34
Rafael Benitez thinks Liverpool will qualify for the next stage of the Champions League despite being without a win in their first three games.
The Reds manager witnessed his side slump to a second consecutive defeat in the group stage when they lost 2-1 away to Turkish side Besiktas.
The latest disappointment follows a 1-0 home defeat by Marseilles and a 1-1 draw to open the campaign away to Porto in Lisbon, which have left Liverpool trailing the French group leaders by six points.
But rather than admit defeat Benitez believes his side has the quality needed to win all three remaining matches to make it through to the knockout rounds of the competition.
"If we play like today we can do it for sure," Benitez told Sky Sports.
"The first thing is to start thinking about the next game and try to win that one."
The Merseysiders, coming off the back of a hard-fought away win against local rivals Everton at the weekend, were left to rue several missed chances.
And Benitez said his players' profligacy in front of goal had been the main problem and the tactics did not need changing.
"We had a lot of options and a lot of shots, so we were controlling almost everything," he continued.
"We made a big mistake in the first half and then we needed a goal.
"In the second half, again, we were controlling almost everything and only at the end they had two more counter attacks and two more chances.
"When you are controlling the game and you are creating chances all you can say is try to keep going and try to do the same."