RAFAEL BENITEZ is confident his unbeaten Liverpool side have the mental strength to emerge triumphantly from two crucial games in five days.
The Liverpool manager knows his side’s 15-match unbeaten run will be tested severely in Madrid on Wednesday and then against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Against Atletico Madrid in the Vicente Calderon, Liverpool can virtually seal qualification from Champions League Group D with victory.
And if they can end Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten home league record on Sunday they will lead the Premier League and make a dramatic statement of intent.
Benitez, whose side came from behind to beat Wigan on Saturday, said: “I am confident that my players can produce the right performances this week.
“We are showing character and the right mentality you need for a winning team.
“We have Atletico next, and then Chelsea, two very tough away matches.
“But with games like that to come, how can we start talking about what we can win this season?
“It is too early to be talking of titles and cups.
“We must just keep going the way we are.
“It has to be a case of concentrating on each game, not looking to the future.
“But our players are showing great character.”
Liverpool have lost just one of their last 24 games in all competitions and only two in 32.
Benitez continued: “The team showed great character to beat Wigan on Saturday, and we are showing the belief that we can win every game.
“The Premier League is very tough.
“To show the mental strength we have displayed this season is very positive. We did that again against Wigan and we must maintain it for the next games, particularly this week.
“My priority is now Atletico, not Chelsea just yet. But the games are very close together and we will see whether we can continue to show the character we have been showing.”
Liverpool have been forced to stage comebacks four times already this season after going behind, the last two being the 3-2 victories over Manchester City and Wigan Athletic.
At Eastlands they were 2-0 down, and at the weekend Wigan led twice before Liverpool surged back to again win the points.
Benitez said: “Comebacks like we are achieving gives us confidence, but the Champions League is another competition. We are away against a very good team, but we have the confidence and belief to handle this. But maybe it would be nice to get two or three goals in the first half so I can relax a little on the bench.”
The Liverpool manager knows his side’s 15-match unbeaten run will be tested severely in Madrid on Wednesday and then against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Against Atletico Madrid in the Vicente Calderon, Liverpool can virtually seal qualification from Champions League Group D with victory.
And if they can end Chelsea’s 86-match unbeaten home league record on Sunday they will lead the Premier League and make a dramatic statement of intent.
Benitez, whose side came from behind to beat Wigan on Saturday, said: “I am confident that my players can produce the right performances this week.
“We are showing character and the right mentality you need for a winning team.
“We have Atletico next, and then Chelsea, two very tough away matches.
“But with games like that to come, how can we start talking about what we can win this season?
“It is too early to be talking of titles and cups.
“We must just keep going the way we are.
“It has to be a case of concentrating on each game, not looking to the future.
“But our players are showing great character.”
Liverpool have lost just one of their last 24 games in all competitions and only two in 32.
Benitez continued: “The team showed great character to beat Wigan on Saturday, and we are showing the belief that we can win every game.
“The Premier League is very tough.
“To show the mental strength we have displayed this season is very positive. We did that again against Wigan and we must maintain it for the next games, particularly this week.
“My priority is now Atletico, not Chelsea just yet. But the games are very close together and we will see whether we can continue to show the character we have been showing.”
Liverpool have been forced to stage comebacks four times already this season after going behind, the last two being the 3-2 victories over Manchester City and Wigan Athletic.
At Eastlands they were 2-0 down, and at the weekend Wigan led twice before Liverpool surged back to again win the points.
Benitez said: “Comebacks like we are achieving gives us confidence, but the Champions League is another competition. We are away against a very good team, but we have the confidence and belief to handle this. But maybe it would be nice to get two or three goals in the first half so I can relax a little on the bench.”
No comments:
Post a Comment