Can Liverpool win the Champions League? Benitez gives his verdict

Despite struggling in the Premier League this season, Liverpool have progressed to the Champions League quarter-finals.

Former Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has backed Jurgen Klopp to win a second Champions League title in 2020/21 and a second in only three seasons.

The Reds’ title defense in the Premier League is effectively over. Manchester City lie 25 points ahead in first place, while Klopp’s side still has a five-point gap to close down in the top-four race.

If Liverpool finish outside the top-four, they’ll have to win the Champions League to guarantee a spot in Europe’s premier club competition for next season.

The six-time European champions, however, must first overcome Real Madrid in the quarter-finals. If successful, a semi-final tie with either FC Porto or Chelsea awaits.

A trip to Istanbul, where Liverpool famously won the Champions League in 2005 under Benitez, awaits for this season’s finalists.

On whether Klopp can emulate his Istanbul success, Benitez told the Daily Mail: “For sure. Liverpool has the potential and the manager, it’s not a problem.

“People talk about Istanbul like we were lucky. But we were not lucky to win the Champions League because we played against Juventus [in the quarter-finals], that was a top side and they played 5-3-2.

“Tactically we had to adapt to a very difficult opponent and then, because we did well, the confidence was growing and growing.

“And we played Chelsea, at this time it was the best team maybe in Europe – for sure in England – [but] our team had so much confidence that tactically we could manage. We were a team with belief.

“I think Liverpool can do the same and go to the final obviously. AC Milan was a great team, but the team was growing in confidence because, in these knockout competitions, we could do it.”