Chelsea Have Mental Block, Says Benítez

Rafael Benítez believes Chelsea must overcome a psychological barrier to defeat Liverpool at the third time of asking in a Champions League semi-final. The Spaniard, in bullish form ahead of tonight's first leg at Anfield, also warned the Londoners they face a more complete Liverpool side than those that shattered their European Cup aspirations in 2005 and 2007.

Benítez backed his conviction that Liverpool are better equipped for their third semi-final clash with Chelsea in four seasons by pointing to a photograph of his jubilant 2005 winners at Anfield yesterday. On it, Josemi, Milan Baros and Vladimir Smicer surrounded Steven Gerrard with the club's fifth trophy. Now, as they seek a sixth, the Liverpool manager can support his captain with Fernando Torres, Javier Mascherano and Arsenal's conqueror in the quarter-finals, Ryan Babel.

"A surprise, eh?" said Benítez, looking at the photograph. "I have seen this squad 20 times and I still wonder how we did it. At the end of the day the best team doesn't always win. You cannot guarantee anything, but you can see those photos and you can see this squad now is much better. Every year the squad is getting better. The spine of the team is stronger, we have some young players with quality. We are going in the right direction. We need something more for being real contenders in the Premier League but clearly we are much better every year."

Though he claimed Avram Grant's squad should still be regarded as favorites to reach Moscow on May 21 - "I prefer to feel the same as we felt before," added Benítez, "we were underdogs, focused, concentrated and knew we were against a fantastic team" - the Liverpool manager admitted his side's record against Chelsea in this competition cannot be discounted. Chelsea, beaten by Luis García's goal three years ago and on penalties last season, have not scored at Anfield in three Champions League visits. That, claimed Benítez, could have left a lasting impression on a team that could field seven of the players who lost at Anfield in May 2005.

The Liverpool manager said: "For me it would be an incentive [losing to the same opponent twice before] but for them maybe it is a psychological problem. I think they have enough experience and quality in the squad though. I don't think they will have a problem coming to Anfield and dealing with the atmosphere. They can manage so we must create more problems for them."

Gerrard is available tonight despite missing Saturday's win at Fulham with a neck injury, while Mascherano and Sami Hyypia are also fit having been withdrawn at Craven Cottage. The absence of Jose Mourinho from the fixture, meanwhile, led Benítez to suggest a calmer Chelsea may take to the field at Anfield tonight. "Mourinho was always talking, but Grant is a manager who is calm so maybe he will give to them this same mentality," he said. "I have a lot of respect for Grant. He's doing a good job. They are a strong team."

Victory for a third time over Chelsea would give Benítez a second opportunity to join his former Real Madrid colleague and friend Vicente del Bosque, plus Ottmar Hitzfeld and Carlo Ancelotti, among managers to have lifted the Champions League trophy twice. Not that the reserved Spaniard would indulge in celebration should he join that exalted company.

"When I finish an important game I go home have a dinner, something simple, nothing special," he revealed. "I don't drink wine and I don't drink beer. I don't like champagne. I tell my wife not to waste money on it because she'd be wasting money on expensive bottles. I'd drink a little bit and she'd drink the rest!"