Benitez: Europa League can be silver lining

Rafa Benitez has promised Liverpool will go all-out to put a silver lining on their season by winning the Europa League.

Though Benitez had designs on leading the Reds to the Champions League final in Madrid, a wretched sequence of results in the group stages has meant he has had to switch his sights to Hamburg next May.

If Liverpool are to get there, they must first overcome Unirea Urziceni in the round of 32; if successful in that tie, they will then face either Lille or crack Turkish side Fenerbahce in the last 16.

Benitez, of course, has more immediate priorities namely reviving Liverpools domestic campaign and an FA Cup tie with Reading before his attentions to turn to dealing with the Romanian champions.

But given he has not brought a piece of silverware back to Anfield since 2006, Benitez is determined to rectify that situation in the New Year and has made it clear Liverpool will take the Europa League seriously.

"Unirea won the league in Romania and they are certainly a good team. We have to progress as far as we can and its an opportunity for us to win a trophy, which we will try and take," said Benitez, whose side face a lunchtime kick-off at Portsmouth today.

"I have some friends in Seville (who were in Unireas Champions League group) and maybe I will be in contact with them.

"They also had Stuttgart in their group and maybe they could have qualified (for the Champions League knockout stages). We know that it is going to be tough.

"But the Europa League does not resume until February and first of all, we have to concentrate on Portsmouth.

"We will play the first game at home; sometimes that is worse but we have to do it and we will be ready. It's important to have lots of options to win trophies. The Champions League might be more important but there are some good teams in the Europa League."

Unirea are managed by Dan Petrescu and Kenny Dalglish, the Reds representative at yesterdays draw, made it clear there will be no easy route if Liverpool are going to go all the way to the final on May 12.

"It'll be a difficult game," said Dalglish. "They've got a break until March now I think. Whether that helps or hinders them, it remains to be seen. Unirea got eight points from a difficult group so we have to give them the respect they deserve.

Unirea play their domestic home games at the Tineretului Stadium, but as it only has a 7,000 capacity, all European games are played at the Steaua Stadium in Bucharest.

This story has been reproduced from today's media. It does not necessarily represent the views or position of Liverpool Football Club.