Rafael Benítez given opportunity to underline his credentials

They were putting on a brave face at Liverpool yesterday — Dirk Kuyt, Martin Skrtel and Jamie Carragher claiming in their different ways that the Barclays Premier League title was still up for grabs.

But as Liverpool prepared to fly to Spain this morning for the first leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie against Real Madrid at the Bernabéu tomorrow evening, with Manchester United boasting a seven-point lead at the top of the Premier League, there was the inescapable feeling that the Merseyside club will again have to look to Europe for salvation.

If Istanbul in 2005 papered gloriously over the fact that Liverpool finished fifth — behind Everton — in the league in Rafael Benítez’s first season at Anfield, a second Champions League final appearance in three years in 2007 provided a welcome distraction to another failed title bid.

With United threatening to equal Liverpool’s record haul of 18 domestic championships, however, the question is how long Europe can continue to provide a personal sanctuary for Benítez, the manager, after Sunday’s disappointing 1-1 draw at home to Manchester City lengthened the odds on a first league title for 19 years.

Benítez is understood to be insisting on a get-out clause being inserted in his new contract to protect his position in the event that Liverpool are sold in the months ahead, but the continuing delays in signing a new four-year, £16 million deal are looking increasingly like a smokescreen.

By putting his contractual situation firmly on the agenda in the week when Liverpool play Real, a club eager to secure his services, Benítez appears to be placing himself in the shop window and knows that the clamour at the Bernabéu to lure him is only likely to increase if Liverpool knock the Spanish side out of the competition.

Their prospects of doing just that will be improved significantly if Steven Gerrard is passed fit to play tomorrow. The Liverpool captain has missed his team’s past two league matches with a hamstring injury, but having been included in the squad to face Real, Benítez will give his talisman every chance to prove his fitness. However, Daniel Agger, the defender, will not travel because of a back injury.

Benítez will have been dismayed to hear Sir Alex Ferguson, the United manager, claiming that Real have “no chance” of winning the Champions League because “their game lacks pace”. Real have won their past nine league matches under Juande Ramos, the former Tottenham Hotspur head coach, and Benítez is unlikely to be

impressed by remarks that could serve only to galvanise their opponents.

Benítez may also be disgruntled that Roberto Rosetti, the Italian referee who awarded Chelsea a penalty that helped to eliminate Liverpool in their semi-final, second leg at Stamford Bridge last season, has been put in charge of the game.