SOCCER:Ah, the game. Porto's arrival at Anfield has been incidental to the recent squabbling and manoeuvring at Liverpool but Rafael Benitez had reason to appeal for no distractions before tonight's critical test, even if it was a bit rich of him to ask.
For all the street protests and transatlantic discontent Liverpool enter the penultimate fixture of a wildly fluctuating group campaign in commanding form and with supreme confidence. "If we win . . . no, take out the 'if'. When we win . . ." was their manager's message yesterday and after three consecutive victories with 13 goals scored and none conceded, Benitez is at least on solid ground when he talks of recent steps forward.
But Liverpool do not welcome a Besiktas or a Newcastle to Anfield this evening - in Jesualdo Ferreira's Porto they host competent opponents, a team that have earned a place at the top of Group A and at the summit of the Portuguese league who are unbeaten in both competitions.
It was at Estadio do Dragao that Liverpool set the tone for their campaign thus far. A complete mess to begin with, when they could have been three goals down inside the opening eight minutes, Liverpool recovered through Dirk Kuyt and comfortably held out for a draw despite the dismissal of Jermaine Pennant. That point could prove invaluable in the final reckoning and they would settle for a similar up-and-down story in the group should qualification arrive at the conclusion.
If Marseille take more points from Besiktas than Liverpool glean from the Portuguese, however, a place in the knock-out phase will be beyond Benitez and tensions within the Anfield hierarchy will exacerbate. It is not a scenario Liverpool's players are prepared to dwell on.
"I am sure Porto would like to finish top of the group and send us out but for us it is unthinkable to lose," said the Liverpool goalkeeper Jose Reina. "As a professional it is never in your mind to lose. We need three points and we are in better form now than when we played in Portugal."
One positive to emerge from the uncertainty surrounding the manager's future is that Anfield is likely to create an intimidating atmosphere for the visitors, lifting its European decibels even higher in a show of support for Benitez. Reina added: "I cannot guide my team-mates in defence when I play in front of the Kop on a European night, but the 45 minutes I am there are very special. The only place I have ever heard such noise is at Besiktas and I am sure everyone will be behind the team and the manager."
In September Porto profited from Sami Hyypia's occasional difficulties when playing two intense games in rapid succession, although, in fairness to the 34-year-old Finnish international, he was outstanding in the recent league wins against Fulham and Newcastle. Yet his workload, plus Benitez's need for defensive reinforcements during the January transfer window, are unlikely to diminish after Daniel Agger suffered a setback this week in his recovery from a broken metatarsal.
"We need to wait on Agger. It's a difficult situation," said the manager. "He was taking it steady with his recovery but wanted to push it, but I told him to calm down because he was desperate to play. We were doing the right things and making sure we made no mistakes, but he has a small problem and we need to see if he can progress. It's the same problem as before. The other day he felt something in the same metatarsal so we need to wait."
Ferreira has brought the inexperienced Milan Stepanov and Mario Bolatti into his Porto squad to replace the injured Joao Paulo. A point for the Portuguese side would seal progression into the knock-out stages, if it was matched or bettered by Marseille in Turkey.
The pressure, though, is on the hosts. Tonight is the opportune moment for Liverpool's players to demonstrate how much they owe Benitez and Reina had no time for the suggestion that failure would benefit the club's quest for Premier League title. "We are Liverpool and we can manage in both competitions at the same time with the squad we have," he said. "We must win to have a chance of progressing in this competition and to make people believe in us even more."
Two people in particular.
Guardian Service
Liverpool
v Marseille
Venue: Anfield
Kick-off: 7.45
On TV: RTÉ 2, Sky Sports 2
