Trailing 1-0 from the first leg, captain Steven Gerrard's ninth-minute penalty drew the Reds level on aggregate and then Fernando Torres' 16th and 17th goals of the season - and his first in Europe since last April - put his side into the last eight.

Benitez said his star striker was not yet 100% fit but after four goals in his last two matches - he scored twice in Monday's 4-1 Barclays Premier League victory over Portsmouth - he is approaching it.

"Torres was working very hard and I am really pleased because he did a fantastic job," said the Spaniard.

"Match fitness is something you can only get by playing games. I'd like to say he's 50% [fit] but he is close, it is a question of playing games.

"But I still believe he can improve. You can see there is a big difference when he plays well and it is the same with Gerrard too.

"It helps the rest of the team to play better."

Benitez was happy with the display after they restricted a potentially dangerous Lille side to very few chances.

"It was a really good performance. We could see the players working really hard together and it was a good night," he added.

"It was difficult because Lille are a good team, but it was a fantastic atmosphere tonight and everybody is happy now.

"The early goal was important because we knew we had to push forward from the beginning - and that goal gave us more time and confidence.

"At 2-0 they were still dangerous so we needed the third goal just in case and, when it went in, it was a bit of relief."

Benitez woke this morning to stories about winger Albert Riera criticising his management technique and saying Liverpool were a sinking ship.

The Reds boss' response was to suspend the Spain international until Monday, when he will report back to the club's Melwood training ground to discover if he will be punished further but a fine is the very least he can expect.

"The timing was not the best for the team and we will deal with this internally," was all Benitez would say on the matter."

Lille coach Rudi Garcia felt the scoreline flattered Liverpool.

"I think it was a bit harsh and not a fair reflection but we've nothing to be ashamed about with this defeat," said the Frenchman.

"One thing that slightly disappointed me about the performance was in attack where we didn't really have a cutting edge and we didn't pose enough of a threat.

"We were in with a shout right up until Liverpool scored their third goal, which I think came from a foul.

"We bossed the tie in the first leg but tonight Liverpool were better than us."