Liverpool eye one more great escape

Jamie Carragher insists Liverpool FC are still in a position where they can produce one of their trademark recoveries from recent seasons and qualify from UEFA Champions League Group E.

History favourable
Two years ago, the English club needed to win their last three group games to progress to the knockout stages and managed the feat in fine style by beating Beşiktaş JK and FC Porto at home and Olympique de Marseille in France, scoring 16 goals in the process. Carragher remembers that achievement and is confident the Anfield outfit can replicate such an unlikely finale to the phase, even if their destiny is now out of their hands. Indeed, they come up against bottom side Debreceni VSC in Budapest knowing they will be eliminated whatever their result if ACF Fiorentina overcome leaders Olympique Lyonnais in Italy.

'Special things'
"We've been in the situation before," said the defender. "We must concentrate on what we do, take care of ourselves and get the three points. The aim of every game is to win. Sometimes a draw away in Europe is good but we must win this time. We always believe we can do special things and we've done it with these players and this manager in the last four or five years – we've left ourselves in a bit of a hole but must believe we can do it again."

Late problems
Liverpool's fans may well reflect on the last-minute goals home and away against Lyon which restricted Rafael Benítez's side to a single point on matchdays three and four, but Carragher knows such negative memories must be put aside as the 2005 European champions strive to achieve another miracle. "Who knows what will happen over the next two games?" said the 31-year-old. "We mustn't worry about what's happened in the past with last-minute goals but instead do our job and see where we are after the six games. We have to focus on our own game because the worst thing would be for the other game [in Italy] to go for us and us not to do our job."

Normal preparation
For Liverpool to have any chance of repeating history in their concluding match against Fiorentina, Carragher knows they must first deny Debrecen their first point of the group stage. "We will prepare for this game against Debrecen as we do with any other: we'll look at the videos of them and prepare our tactics tomorrow," he said. "We've played them once already so we know a bit about them and we're confident of getting the win. At the same time, I don't really want to know the score of the other game in Florence. It won't make any difference to us."