RAFA'S NEW REDS BEST YET

Rafael Benitez keeps saying it, and Milan should take note. This Liverpool is a much better side than the one that beat the Italians two years ago in Istanbul.

Then it was all about astonishing comebacks, terrible misses, penalties and Jerzy Dudek.

This time in Athens on May 23 it will be different. Milan were the technically better side in Istanbul, but could not make their talent tell when all they needed was calm and steely nerves.

In Athens the task for Benitez's men is to reproduce the form they showed in beating Barcelona and Chelsea in the earlier rounds, because this time they know that Milan have not improved much from Istanbul. But Liverpool are better.

Milan's side this time will show only marginal differences to the 2005 final vintage, other than that they are a couple of years older.

But Liverpool have evolved. Of the 18-man squad that was on duty in the Ataturk Stadium, eight are no longer with the club. Probably only five of the line-up will be in the team that starts in Athens.

Gone are Djimi Traore, Milan Baros, Dietmar Hamann - a crucial second-half substitute - Vladimir Smicer, who likewise played a key role as an early replacement for Harry Kewell, and Djibril Cisse.

On the bench Igor Biscan, Josemi and Antonio Nunez have all left, while substitute goalkeeper Scott Carson has been out on loan at Charlton and will not be involved this time.

Injury will rule out Luis Garcia, while Sami Hyypia is unlikely to dislodge 21-year-old Daniel Agger from central defence. Dudek will be on the bench at best this time with Jose Reina in goal.

The front-line survivors are Steve Finnan, Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, John Arne Riise and Jamie Carragher.

It is a major change-around in Benitez's plans. He has better, more effective players now at this level and plenty of choice.

It could be argued that apart from Reina, Gerrard, Carragher and probably Riise, no-one else in the Liverpool camp is sure of their place in the Athens starting line-up.

Finnan is now under pressure from Alvaro Arbeloa, a specialist European defender who took Lionel Messi out of the game in both legs against Barcelona.

Agger should keep out Hyypia, but with Arbeloa able to play either full-back role, he could push out Riise, with the Norwegian playing in the problem left-side midfield role.

Boudewijn Zenden has made a late play for this position with confident displays in both semi-final legs against Chelsea. Even fit-again Kewell has put himself in with a shout of the left-wing role.

And does Benitez play with a winger, Jermaine Pennant, or utilise Gerrard on the right? If Pennant plays there is only one place for Alonso, Javier Mascherano and Mohamed Sissoko to contest alongside the captain.

An up front only Robbie Fowler realises he will get no closer than the bench. If Benitez plays one or two strikers - the second option meaning Gerrard will push forward - there will be sleepless nights for Craig Bellamy, Dirk Kuyt and Peter Crouch until they know the manager's feelings and tactics.

Benitez has played a variety of systems in Europe this season and is very hard to predict. That will make Milan's planning much more difficult.

Benitez will have seen how much joy Manchester United had down the flanks against Milan when they won their semi-final first leg 3-2 in thrilling fashion at Old Trafford.

The Spaniard will also have seen how effective Milan's ball retention was in the second leg when United failed to produce any serious tempo to harass defenders, who played deep and strangled the life from the game by killing off long periods of play without United getting a touch.

And you cannot see Benitez allowing Kaka to roam unattended, and he will not adopt the Sir Alex Ferguson method of allowing "whoever is nearest" to mark the Brazilian.

Hamann, eventually, did that job in Istanbul, a key part of the recovery from 3-0 down in the second period, which suggests the defensive, organised Mascherano will have the role against his fellow South American.

So can Liverpool do it again? The answer has to be yes, purely because Benitez is such a superb tactician in Europe and will find the weaknesses in the Italians' line-up.

And you sense Liverpool's style will exploit them far better than United's did.


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