Rafa Ready for Europa Test

Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez does not believe the Europa League can be viewed as a poor relation of the UEFA Champions League.

The Reds boss saw his side lose their place at European football's top table during a dismal group stage campaign and is now preparing for the last-32 meeting with Unirea Urziceni.

With the Anfield outfit well off the pace in the Premier League, out of the FA Cup and Carling Cup, the Europa League is Benitez's only remaining opportunity for silverware this season.

And the Spaniard has pledged to do everything to claim victory in a competition which features fellow Champions League drop-outs Juventus, Atletico Madrid, Marseille, Wolfsburg and Thursday night's opponents.

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.
Strong teams

"To be fair, if you analyse the teams that are in the competition there are some very strong teams," Benitez 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."

Important

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 knowledge 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.