Benitez wary of Liege

Ahead of their UEFA Champion’s League 3rd round qualifier versus Standard Liege, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez has admitted that scouting the Belgian giants has proved difficult.

“We have watched videos of Standard and had reports on them but it is so early in the season that it is not easy to know how they will play, especially as they have a player who has returned from the Olympics especially for this game,” he said, according to Liverpool Banter.

With Scottish Club Rangers recently crashing out of Europe at the first hurdle, Benitez is keen to avoid a similar fate.

“We will try to win if that is possible because a good result for us is to win,”

“But if that is not possible then the very least we will be looking for is an away goal.”

He added on Liverpoolfc.tv: “We know at home they will be really difficult so we need to be ready and mentally I think our players are prepared.”

Benitez added that he might have preferred to play the Premier League opener versus Sunderland first, but was at least pleased that the return leg would be at hom.

“You can’t change the situation but I would prefer to play these important games when the team is a little bit sharper. If we can win maybe it would be a boost for the Premier League game.

Always we prefer to play the second game at Anfield so that is important. ”

Captain Steven Gerrard has been passed fit to travel with the club, but Martin Skrtel, Fabio Aurelio and Philipp Degen are all injured.