Uefa Champions League round of 16 Benfica v Liverpool Estadio da Luz, kick-off 7.45: Steven Gerrard last night spelt out Liverpool's urgent desire to retain the Champions League trophy, their triumph against Milan in Istanbul last May having merely served to whet the appetite as they attempt to negotiate passage beyond Benfica into the quarter-finals in Portugal tonight.
The midfielder returns to the Estadio da Luz this evening hoping to exorcise the memories of England's defeat here to France at Euro 2004, in which his back pass prompted the penalty in stoppage time from which Zinedine Zidane sealed the defending champions' victory. Gerrard also experienced elimination from that tournament in this arena, to Portugal on penalties, with Benfica to endure the backlash.
"We won't let the title of European champions go without a fight," said Gerrard. "I promise that now to the supporters. Whoever we come up against we will give 110 per cent because we know what it feels like to win it and we want to win it again this year. People aren't talking about Liverpool, which suits us fine, to be honest. We will just go about our game, but try taking it from us and people will see how desperate we are to succeed.
"We could have lived off the back of Istanbul for a bit, milked what was a tremendous achievement. But the players aren't like that and the manager wouldn't stand for it. Any complacency and he would come down on you no matter who you are. But he hasn't needed to because the players are desperate for more. Everyone is more hungry than ever before and so is the manager."
With a struggling Benfica awaiting here, the impression that the defending champions could almost sneak unnoticed into the latter stages lingers, particularly given the razzmatazz surrounding Chelsea and Arsenal's more glamorous ties against Barcelona and Real Madrid.
"Maybe if we win in Portugal, people will start believing in our team more," said Rafael Benitez. "But we are happy with our situation. We have confidence at this moment, even though Benfica will be waiting for us and it will be another tough game. We have the confidence to win games like this."
The Spaniard will have his compatriot Xabi Alonso fit again after a thigh problem, with his inclusion likely to come at Mohamed Sissoko's expense given Dietmar Hamann's resurgent form. Having accepted life as a squad player, the 32-year-old's outstanding performance against Manchester United on Saturday was his 22nd appearance this season and triggered a clause in the one-year contract signed last summer to extend his stay at Anfield by a further 12 months.
Hamann's displays against Arsenal and United have been integral to Liverpool's success. "He was brilliant on Saturday but, for me, he has been brilliant all season," said Gerrard. "Didi is such a clever player that he is still able to come in and give a big performance.
"When the manager turns to him he knows what he is getting. This is someone who has played in a World Cup final, remember, and I have learnt an awful lot from him. I would keep him here for as long as possible. He is not just a great player, but a great person to have around the squad."
