RAFA: FANS WERE MAGNIFICENT

Paul Hassall at Anfield 28 November 2007

Rafael Benitez expressed an emotional message of thanks to the club's supporters after Liverpool stormed to an emphatic 4-1 win over Porto in the Champions League.
The Reds boss was delighted with the performance of his players as they ensured that progress to the latter stages of the competition will be assured if they beat Marseille in two weeks' time.

But it was the impact made by the club's fans that struck the most significant chord with the Reds boss as Anfield once again rose to the occasion in Europe.

"I want to say thank you to our supporters because I think that they were as always magnificent," said Benitez.

"The most important thing is the team so I say thank you for the support. To the players it was important as I said before the game and it was also for me, so I say a thank you, a big thank you."

Fernando Torres hit a double and Steven Gerrard (penalty) and substitute Peter Crouch added other late goals to give the scoreline a more flattering look.

And Benitez was pleased to see the club's record signing back among the goals after his impressive display got the Reds back on track following Lisandro's equaliser.

"For me it doesn't matter the price," said Benitez.

"Sometimes people say you spent this money, but Voronin was a Bosman transfer and he has been really good so it is not important the money.

"Torres is a player who can score goals. He missed three or four chances the other day against Newcastle but today he scored and sometimes this is how it happens."

19:45 GMT : Match Starts
1 min : Voronin and Torres kick off
1 min : Rafa's name is ringing around Anfield
2 mins : Great corner by Stevie is cleared and Porto break �oh, that's a fabulous tackle by Javier
5 mins : Brilliant move by the Reds ends with a penalty shout when a Benayoun cross appeared to be handled. The ref was having none of it
10 mins : Torres bursts through after another fine tackle from Javier...his shot is saved
11 mins : Quaresma is allowed to shoot but it's further away than the sun
13 mins : That's a poor touch from the skipper but he wins it back
14 mins : Chelsea are one up in Rosenborg...Celtic are losing at home to Shaktar
15 mins : Quaresma is rolling around shock horror
16 mins : We're knocking it round quite well at times
19 mins : Great cut through by Yossi to Gerrard into the box...Stevie should have found someone...
19 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres: The Spaniard bags his ninth of the season, heading home well from a Gerrard corner
22 mins : Man Utd's assistant is here...I can't spell his name. How he wishes he had a striker as good our number nine
23 mins : The Yosmiester and Babel have swapped flanks, the Dutchman going over to the right
27 mins : Another great interception by Sami
28 mins : Alvaro is megged but Javier comes to the rescue by taking the guy's legs
29 mins : Great bit of skill by Fernando and the Reds have a corner
32 mins : Top move involving Babel, Stevie, Yossi, Fernando and the ponytail...another corner
33 mins : GOAL! Lisandro Lopez: Totally against the run of play...Lopez heads beyond Reina after a good cross from Kazmierczak
37 mins : It should have been 2-1 Porto then but thankfully Lopez hits narrowly wide
38 mins : First Booking: Sami Hyypia:
38 mins : All of a sudden Liverpool are on the ropes
40 mins : Gerrard hits a 35-yard free-kick...so close
42 mins : Besiktas are beating Marseille 1-0 - that's good
44 mins : Our play is starting to get sloppy
20:30 GMT : Half Time Reached
20:45 GMT : Second Half Begins
46 mins : Saw Roy Keane and Sam Allardyce in the directors' box at half-time - chatting about Harry Redknapp no doubt
48 mins : First Booking: Paulo Assuncao:
49 mins : Ryan wins a corner
49 mins : Cleared
50 mins : Cracking Javier, cracking
51 mins : Babel is not shy about taking on his man down the right...and he frequently beats him. So far though his crosses haven't cut it
52 mins : Quaresma has a go at Carra - Carra totally blanks him
54 mins : Reina finds Torres with a superb kick...Torres lays it to Yossi who's running into the box...oh that's terrible
58 mins : Three Liverpool players have long sleeves on...can you guess which?
59 mins : Carra, Torres and the ponytail
59 mins : Okay, and Reina
60 mins : Rafa is talking to Harry
61 mins : Harry is stripping...Carra has just shouted RYAN, RYAN louder than an earthquake
61 mins : Corner...
62 mins : And again...
62 mins : Both wasted
63 mins : Babel cuts through �he refuses to shoot on his left foot. The crowd let out a shriek of frustration
63 mins : Substitution: Harry Kewell for Andriy Voronin:
65 mins : This is all a bit dead
65 mins : Substitution: Raul Meireles for Przemysław Kazmierczak:
66 mins : Good play by Ryan and Haryy...to Gerrard...shoots but it's just over. That's more like it
67 mins : Great tackle from Javier
67 mins : As it stands we would go through if Porto beat or draw with Besiktas and we beat Marseille in the last games
68 mins : Attendance: 41,095
69 mins : Big Pete is coming on
69 mins : Javier is brilliant. Fact
70 mins : Marseille have equalised, which means if we beat them at their place we are through regardless of other results
71 mins : Substitution: Peter Crouch for Yossi Benayoun:
74 mins : Blatent handball on the edge of their box but the muppet doesn't see it
74 mins : Just seen the replay...it wasn't handball. Ha
76 mins : Another penalty shout as Crouch goes down but that would have been harsh
76 mins : Kewell on the volley...corner
77 mins : Substitution: Tarik Sektioui for Mariano Gonzalez:
77 mins : The corner reaches Hyypia...his flick is saved
79 mins : GOAL! Fernando Torres: Da da da da da der der deeeer
79 mins : Great play by Kewell to tee up Torres for the goal
81 mins : Substitution: Helder Postiga for Paulo Assuncao:
83 mins : GOAL! Steven Gerrard: Stevie seals it from the penalty spot
85 mins : Substitution: Dirk Kuyt for Ryan Babel:
88 mins : GOAL! Peter Crouch: Close range header from Gerrard corner
21:33 GMT : Match Over

Liverpool 4 - Porto 1 ( 28/11/07 )

PEPE: LET'S SEE THE REAL LIVERPOOL

Jimmy Rice 26 November 2007

Pepe Reina is sure he and his teammates have the quality to progress to the second round of the Champions League.
The Reds have to record wins at home to Porto on Wednesday and away in Marseille in two weeks' time.

Reina, though, is confident.

"We are third in the group now and need to register two more wins," said the 25-year-old, who hasn't conceded in four games. "That will not be easy but if we play our real game then we know that will be enough.
"We must win in Marseille, but we must deal with Porto first. There is no point in looking further ahead than that.

"When the team won the trophy back in 2005, in the group stages they managed to get to 10 points, and that was enough. We must aim for that total again, and that will also be enough.

"That run to the final should be a mirror for us. We can look at it as an example of how the situation can be resolved."

Reina was still at Villarreal when Liverpool prevailed in Istanbul, but he was around to share in the disappointment of last season against the same opposition in Athens.

It is an experience he does not want again.

"I have not really looked at that DVD, it is in the past, we lost it and we must forget it and keep going.

"People say we were unlucky in Athens, but in the end Milan won. If we get to the final again we must make sure we do not finish with that same feeling.

"But before we can even think about things like that we must make sure we win these last two group games, we must reach the knock-out rounds before thinking ahead to any more finals."