English clubs have been the stand-out performers on the continent in recent years, primarily in the Champions League where they have had at least one finalist every season since 2005 and made up three of the four semi-finalists in 2007, 2008 and 2009. However, for the first time in seven years, the Premier League was not represented in the last four of Europe's top club competition this season with Manchester United and Arsenal tumbling out at the quarter-finals, Chelsea losing in the last 16, and Liverpool failing to make it through the group stages. The only English hopes remaining in Europe now lie in a competition that has not yielded too much success in recent years. Only once since 2004 has an English club progressed beyond the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup, when Middlesbrough reached the final in 2006 before losing 4-0 to Sevilla. This season though - in the revamped Europa League - there are two English clubs through to the last four with the possibility of Liverpool meeting Fulham in next month's final in Hamburg. Whatever happens in their respective semi-finals though, Benitez feels it is too early to talk about the demise of the Premier League's apparent European supremacy. "It's circumstantial, I think that we need to weigh up this end of English dominance next season. If there are no English teams in the semi-finals of the Champions League or the Europa League, then you'd be able to make such an analysis, but now it's premature," Benitez told Spanish newspaper AS. Liverpool's quest to reach the Europa League final continues on Thursday night when they play Atletico Madrid in the first leg of their semi-final tie at the Vicente Calderon. Both clubs have had inconsistent seasons and will each be without key players, with Fernando Torres missing though injury for Liverpool and Sergio Aguero suspended for Atletico. It is the Spanish side, though, who look to be in the worse shape heading into the match due to their poor recent form. Quique Sanchez Flores' men have lost four of their last five league matches and, in terms of points, are closer to the Primera Division relegation zone than the European spots. Nevertheless, Benitez has played down suggestions his side are favourites. "Not at all, I think Atletico are doing very well in this competition and it will be very difficult to overcome them. You need to play the matches to know who is stronger," said the Spaniard. "They may seem (inconsistent) looking at their results but, seeing how we are talking about a cup competition, they will try to show their best side and this will be dangerous for us." Liverpool have not had the best of campaigns either, and even with Monday's 3-0 win over West Ham they are still five points behind fourth-placed Tottenham, who also have a game in hand. Benitez is hoping his side can at least finish the season strongly though, saying: "Maybe we can improve the situation in the games that are left and with the Europa League, but we'd all expected more. We need to pick up good results to finish with the best taste in the mouth. "It (winning the Europa League) could improve things a lot, but first we need to get through to the final and, then, win it."
