Benitez hails 'influential' Gerrard

Rafael Benitez has hailed Steven Gerrard ahead of Liverpool's Champions League Group A opener at FC Porto.

Gerrard and Fernando Torres started Saturday's 0-0 draw at Portsmouth on the substitutes' bench, but are both set to return to Benitez's starting line-up at Porto's Estadio do Dragao.

The Liverpool manager, whose men will also come up against Marseille and Besiktas in the group, said: "Steven is so important for us. Since I have been at the club he has been the most influential player.

"He scores goals and plays well at this level and all I want is for him to continue like that."

Torres is likely to partner Dirk Kuyt, who did not feature at Fratton Park, up front while John Arne Riise and Mohamed Sissoko will both miss the game.

Last season Liverpool were beaten by AC Milan in the Champions League final and Kuyt believes Benitez's men can make it three finals in four years in European club football's most prestigious competition.

The Dutch hitman, who scored in last season's final, said: "We are very aware that they are a very good side, but we know that we are good enough to go to the final again.

"It will be difficult, we are chasing the English title and I want to win both trophies. But it will not be impossible to reach the final again, we have a good enough squad.

"But we want to win trophies, that is why I came to Liverpool, and it is really too early to judge whether we are really capable of winning both the major trophies we are chasing.

"But this is a very important match, between two very good teams, and we know we must be at our best to get the result we want.

"But we have bought good players in the summer and we all are confident that the final again is not out of our reach."

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