Past form keeps Benítez believing

Rafael Benítez is confident things will go Liverpool FC's way as they take on Debreceni VSC needing both a win in Hungary and Olympique Lyonnais to avoid defeat against ACF Fiorentina to maintain their hopes of joining the French club in the last 16 of the UEFA Champions League. The Reds have history on their side – they won their last three pool games in 2007/08 to progress – while Debrecen are looking to make it as they go in search of a first point in Group E.

Rafael Benítez, Liverpool coach
It will be difficult to qualify because we're depending on other teams, but we must do our job and if we can play against Fiorentina with options then it would fantastic. For us it is simple: we must go out and win. Debrecen can score goals but we know we can do well in defence and score goals so we must do that. Lyon will try to win to be first in the group and keep their confidence up. They are good professionals and they will try to win because if they finish top it is good news and more money. I have confidence that they will do it. It was amazing when we qualified [in 2007/08] and it would be again now; last time we had to win three games and we did it in style so this time it could be more or less the same.

András Herczeg, Debrecen coach
We've tried to give our best in the Champions League but so far it hasn't been enough to get any points. We know Liverpool must win, and also know football typically produces David and Goliath-type stories. If we get a result on Wednesday, it would be the biggest result in our club's history, but my players will have to play at 120 per cent to have any chance of achieving this. We've learned a lot from our performances in this competition and are still learning. We know we can't lose the ball without facing the consequences and, unlike in the Hungarian league, we can't leave our defensive line open. The three other teams in our group are giants of European football so I can't say which are the best two – the group table will decide that.

Weekend results
20/11/09 Budapest Honvéd FC 1-2 Debrecen
(Abraham 68; Leandro 77, Rudolf 90+1)

• Debrecen ended a run of two straight away defeats with a late win which leaves them fifth, eight points behind leaders FC Videoton.

• It followed a 1-0 win against Kecskemét FC last Tuesday that had ended a three-game losing streak, their first since July/August 2001.

20/11/09 Liverpool 2-2 Manchester City FC
(Škrtel 50, Benayoun 77; Adebayor 69, Ireland 76)

• Liverpool remain seventh after a draw against Manchester City that left them 13 points adrift of leaders Chelsea FC.

• The draw stretched Liverpool's winless run to five games. After seven victories in their opening nine games in all competitions, Liverpool have since won just one of their subsequent ten fixtures, losing six.

Team news
Debrecen
Out: Róbert Feczesin (knee), Leandro (ligament damage),
Doubtful: none
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

• Centre-back Norbert Mészáros returned from a month out with a thigh injury on Friday and is likely to start against Liverpool.

Liverpool
Out: Martin Kelly (ankle), Fernando Torres (adductor), Albert Riera (hamstring) Ryan Babel (ankle)
Doubtful: Glen Johnson (calf)
Suspended: none
Misses next match if booked: none

• Like Johnson, Daniel Agger travelled to Budapest despite being substituted with eleven minutes gone on Saturday after suffering a head wound which required five stitches.

Background
• The Anfield club have not fallen at this hurdle in five previous campaigns under Benítez, though they were group-stage casualties in 2002/03.

• In 2007/08, as now, Liverpool had four points after their first four games, albeit trailing second-placed Olympique de Marseille by three points rather than the five separating them from Fiorentina.

Did you know?
Liverpool's two previous visits to the Hungarian capital ended in stalemates. In the 1965/66 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup quarter-finals they held Budapest Honvéd FC 0-0 en route to a 2-0 aggregate success. A 0-0 draw with Ferencvárosi TC in the second round of the same competition in 1974/75 proved costly to Liverpool, eliminating them on away goals after a 1-1 first-leg draw at Anfield.

For more information on the match in the official press kit, click here.