Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez believes the quality of the Europa
League has been underestimated this season.
Liverpool dropped into UEFA's second-tier competition from
the Champions League, along with the likes of Juventus, Atletico
Madrid, Marseille, Wolfsburg and tonight's opponents Unirea
Urziceni.
They supplemented a competition which already boasted clubs
such as Valencia, Villarreal, Hamburg and Sporting Lisbon - not to
mention Premier League sides Fulham and Everton.
And although the Europa League is not where Liverpool
expected to be, Benitez believes it will be a difficult trophy to
win.
"To be fair, if you analyse the teams that are in the
competition there are some very strong teams," he said.
"It will be a difficult competition, the only one we can win
now, so we will try to do our best from the beginning.
"We have to progress, we have to win the first round and go
forward because we might have Juventus, Valencia or Atletico
Madrid.
"Any club in the Europa League which reaches the semi-final
will be good enough to be in the Champions League too.
"To win a European competition against top sides is important
and if you cannot be in the Champions League you have to do your
best here and try to bring something for the fans.
"The response of the players to being knocked out of the
Champions League was fantastic and we have to keep doing the same."
Liverpool last won this competition, in its former guise of
the UEFA Cup, against Alaves in 2001.
Of the players who featured in that final, only captain
Steven Gerrard and Jamie Carragher remain.
Benitez, who also won the UEFA Cup with Valencia, believes
all the players have to draw on what European experience they have
to ensure a good run in the competition.
"We know what it means to win the UEFA Cup, Carra and Gerrard
have this experience and I was at Valencia so I know," he added.
"The players have experience in the Champions League and
although the names of the clubs now are not familiar, when you play
quarter-finals and semi-finals you will see big names.
"They know it (the Europa League) is the only way to do
something important."
Last season's Romanian champions Unirea actually finished
their maiden Champions League campaign with a better points tally
than Liverpool and enjoyed victories away to Rangers and at home to
Sevilla.
And Benitez knows they are not to be taken lightly despite
being an unfamiliar name.
"Maybe the people don't know but they (Unirea) were doing
very well in the Champions League," said the Spaniard.
"Romania have some good players but normally their weak point
is the tactical organisation of the teams, but with this one we
were surprised because they were well-organised, so it will be
tough.
"We know they are a difficult team to beat so the main thing
for me is to tell the players to approach the match like a final."
Unirea's Israeli manager Roni Levy, whose Maccabi Haifa team
were defeated by Liverpool in a Champions League qualifier in 2007,
is optimistic.
"It is a very important game for us," said the 43-year-old.
"We hope to defend well, maybe counter-attack, maybe expose
them on the pitch and maybe score - that would be great."
