Benitez will rest players for todays league match

LFC
By Mighty Reds
April 28 2007

Liverpool travel to Portsmouth today and are expected to rest a few of their star players with a Champions league place already secured, and in anticipation of their second leg CL semi final against Chelsea. The Reds go in to the second leg 1-0 down, and without an away goal, but Rafa Benitez is hoping the KOP will inspire his team to win and go through to another Champions League final.

With Pompey still hopeful of a EUFA cup place Harry Redknapp will well have his team up for this match, and with Liverpool ready to play fringe players he’ll feel his team have a good chance of winning. The Reds players though will have the incentive of proving they are good enough to stay at the club next season and will be giving 100%. Steven Gerrard, Jamie Carragher and Jose Reina have not even travelled, while Xabi Alonso and Daniel Agger are unlikely to figure in the side. Rafa Benitez said: "I will use my squad for this game and mix it up with some experienced and young players," said the Liverpool boss in his pre-match press conference. "We want to win this game and to finish third would be better for us. It's clear it's not easy to turn our focus away from the Chelsea game but we will try to beat Portsmouth. "If you asked me whether we want to reach a final or finish third then I would say reach a final, but we will go to Portsmouth with the idea of winning the match."