Wednesday, 10th March 2010

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez is looking for the Reds to bounce back from their 1-0 defeat at Wigan on Monday night. The Spanish coach, who is coming under increasing pressure to deliver his guarantee of a fourth place finish, knows Liverpool face a real test in French side Lille in the Europa League on Thursday.

Benitez, who is not underestimating the competition, explained that he has spoken to friends at former club Valencia to check on the quality of the French side.

He told the club’s official site: "Lille are a good team. People maybe don’t know so much about them, but we’ve spoken with people in Valencia, because they played one another, and we have reports from the scouts. We know they are a dangerous team with some ability."

Indeed, Benitez has been told by his Spanish contacts that Lille will not prove easy opposition. "I have some friends at Valencia and they told me it was a very difficult game."

With the Reds undergoing a spell of poor league form, Benitez must hope the Europa League can provide his men with a welcome break.

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