Benitez confident of goals against Benfica

LIVERPOOL, England, March 7 (Reuters) Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez is confident his misfiring forwards will be on target to help overturn a 1-0 first-leg deficit when his team host Benfica in the Champions League tomorrow.

Peter Crouch is the only Liverpool striker to find the back of the net so far this year, having scored in last month's 1-0 FA Cup fifth-round win over Manchester United.

''I think we will score against Benfica. With strikers it's sometimes a question of luck, sometimes the right moment,'' Benitez told reporters.

''If we score the first goal we will see more space going forward and we will create clearer chances,'' he added ahead of the first knockout round, second leg tie at Anfield.

Defender Sami Hyypia is expected to be fit for the game despite coming off at halftime in Saturday's goalless Premier League draw against Charlton Athletic with a tight hamstring.

However, midfielder Momo Sissoko is sidelined with an eye injury he picked up in the first leg in Portugal when the European champions lost to a late Luisao header.

Benfica coach Ronald Koeman, like Benitez, is also confident of reaching the quarter-finals and believes his side will be able to capitalise on their slim first-leg advantage.

''In Liverpool it will be complicated but at times we play better against these big names than against weaker teams,'' he said.

''I want my team to play good football but that does not mean to say that it will not be necessary to defend.'' Benfica's French winger and free kick specialist Laurent Robert added: ''I am very confident as is the whole team about tomorrow's match.'' Barring any last-minute injuries, Dutchman Koeman is expected to make only one change to the lineup that beat Liverpool in Lisbon two weeks ago.

Italian Fabrizio Miccoli, who returned to action on Saturday after a seven-week injury layoff, is expected to replace Brazilian Geovanni.

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