Benitez still confident of Champions League qualification

Rafael Benitez insists Saturday's 2-0 defeat at bottom club Portsmouth hasn't shaken his belief that Liverpool will qualify for next season's Champions League.

Javier Mascherano was sent off as they crashed to a seventh league reverse of the campaign.

Liverpool now find themselves seventh in the Premier League, eight points off fourth placed Aston Villa, ahead of the hectic festive period.

Benitez is confident they will re-ignite their push for a top four finish when they entertain Wolves on Boxing Day before travelling to Villa three days later.

"We always knew the battle for fourth would be difficult but we know we can play well," Benitez said.

"We know we have the quality, it's just a question of belief. When the players have a run of games together we will improve.

"It's tough when you have just lost and really disappointing, but if you analyse the game against Portsmouth carefully in the first half we had plenty of possession and were in control of the game.

"We started the game with real intensity but made a mistake for their first goal and paid for it. We have to defend better."

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