Rafael Benitez is confident his unbeaten Liverpool side have the mental strength to emerge triumphantly from two crucial games in five days.
The Liverpool boss knows his side's 15-match unbeaten run will be tested severely in Madrid on Wednesday and then against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
"We have the belief that we can win every game we play," the Spaniard insisted.
Against Atletico Madrid in the Vicente Calderon, Liverpool can virtually seal qualification from Champions League Group D with victory.
And if they can end Chelsea's 86-match unbeaten home league record on Sunday they will lead the Premier League and make a dramatic statement of intent.
Benitez, whose side came from behind to beat Wigan on Saturday, said: "I am confident that my players can produce the right performances this week.
"We are showing character and the right mentality you need for a winning team. We have Atletico next, and then Chelsea, two very tough away matches.
"But with games like that to come, how can we start talking about what we can win this season?
"It is too early to be talking of titles and cups. We must just keep going the way we are.
"It has to be a case of concentrating on each game, not looking to the future. But our players are showing great character.
"We can field a team good enough to beat Atletico, then we must think about how we play at Chelsea. But I am confident in my players that they can produce the right performances.
"We have a few minor injury problems to (Yossi) Benayoun, (Steven) Gerrard and (Robbie) Keane, but I do not expect them to be serious, they should all play on Wednesday."
Liverpool have, in fact, lost just one of their last 24 games in all competitions and only two in 32.
Benitez continued: "The team showed great character to beat Wigan on Saturday, and we are showing the belief that we can win every game.
"The Premier League is very tough. To show the mental strength we have displayed this season is very positive.
"We did that again against Wigan and we must maintain it for the next games, particularly this week.
"My priority is now Atletico, not Chelsea just yet. But the games are very close together and we will see whether we can continue to show the character we have been showing."
Liverpool have been forced to stage comebacks four times already this season after going behind, the last two being the 3-2 victories over Manchester City and Wigan.
At Eastlands they were 2-0 down, and at the weekend Wigan led twice before Liverpool surged back to again win the points.
Benitez said: "Comebacks like we are achieving gives us confidence, but the Champions League is another competition. We are away against a very good team, but we have the confidence and belief to handle this.
"But maybe it would be nice to get two or three goals in the first half so I can relax a little on the bench. You will have to ask my doctor exactly how much stress I am being put under!"
Liverpool will play their 293rd European match on Wednesday - their 162nd in the European Cup - and will be bidding to become the first English side to ever win a European match in the Vicente Calderon.
But they will be without former Atletico striker Fernando Torres, who is out with a hamstring injury.
Atletico have offered their former hero a VIP seat in the directors' box for the game, but it is believed that Torres will not travel to Madrid with the rest of the squad tomorrow.
Instead he is expected to stay at the club's Melwood training ground for extensive treatment, with Liverpool having not totally given up all hope that he could still figure at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Liverpool are likely to retain Dirk Kuyt in Madrid in a more central striking role after his two goals sunk Wigan.
Kuyt, who has scored 10 goals in his last 17 European games for Liverpool, has the support of Benitez.
The Spaniard said: "Without Fernando we know the option is to play Kuyt up front, and it works well for us.
"He can score goals, we always know that. He is a very important player for us, a special player who works so hard.
"He can play on the right very well, but now he may have to stand in again for Torres and I have every faith in him. He is a player with so much industry in his game, any manager would be happy to have him in their side."
"We have the belief that we can win every game we play," the Spaniard insisted.
Against Atletico Madrid in the Vicente Calderon, Liverpool can virtually seal qualification from Champions League Group D with victory.
And if they can end Chelsea's 86-match unbeaten home league record on Sunday they will lead the Premier League and make a dramatic statement of intent.
Benitez, whose side came from behind to beat Wigan on Saturday, said: "I am confident that my players can produce the right performances this week.
"We are showing character and the right mentality you need for a winning team. We have Atletico next, and then Chelsea, two very tough away matches.
"But with games like that to come, how can we start talking about what we can win this season?
"It is too early to be talking of titles and cups. We must just keep going the way we are.
"It has to be a case of concentrating on each game, not looking to the future. But our players are showing great character.
"We can field a team good enough to beat Atletico, then we must think about how we play at Chelsea. But I am confident in my players that they can produce the right performances.
"We have a few minor injury problems to (Yossi) Benayoun, (Steven) Gerrard and (Robbie) Keane, but I do not expect them to be serious, they should all play on Wednesday."
Liverpool have, in fact, lost just one of their last 24 games in all competitions and only two in 32.
Benitez continued: "The team showed great character to beat Wigan on Saturday, and we are showing the belief that we can win every game.
"The Premier League is very tough. To show the mental strength we have displayed this season is very positive.
"We did that again against Wigan and we must maintain it for the next games, particularly this week.
"My priority is now Atletico, not Chelsea just yet. But the games are very close together and we will see whether we can continue to show the character we have been showing."
Liverpool have been forced to stage comebacks four times already this season after going behind, the last two being the 3-2 victories over Manchester City and Wigan.
At Eastlands they were 2-0 down, and at the weekend Wigan led twice before Liverpool surged back to again win the points.
Benitez said: "Comebacks like we are achieving gives us confidence, but the Champions League is another competition. We are away against a very good team, but we have the confidence and belief to handle this.
"But maybe it would be nice to get two or three goals in the first half so I can relax a little on the bench. You will have to ask my doctor exactly how much stress I am being put under!"
Liverpool will play their 293rd European match on Wednesday - their 162nd in the European Cup - and will be bidding to become the first English side to ever win a European match in the Vicente Calderon.
But they will be without former Atletico striker Fernando Torres, who is out with a hamstring injury.
Atletico have offered their former hero a VIP seat in the directors' box for the game, but it is believed that Torres will not travel to Madrid with the rest of the squad tomorrow.
Instead he is expected to stay at the club's Melwood training ground for extensive treatment, with Liverpool having not totally given up all hope that he could still figure at Stamford Bridge on Sunday.
Liverpool are likely to retain Dirk Kuyt in Madrid in a more central striking role after his two goals sunk Wigan.
Kuyt, who has scored 10 goals in his last 17 European games for Liverpool, has the support of Benitez.
The Spaniard said: "Without Fernando we know the option is to play Kuyt up front, and it works well for us.
"He can score goals, we always know that. He is a very important player for us, a special player who works so hard.
"He can play on the right very well, but now he may have to stand in again for Torres and I have every faith in him. He is a player with so much industry in his game, any manager would be happy to have him in their side."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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