Benitez: No excuses for loss

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The result leaves the Reds in third spot in Group A with just one point, needing now to win at Besiktas or even at Marseille to have a genuine chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.

"It was a poor game for us, we did not play well and we did not make many chances. It was clearly not our day," Benitez said. "It could well be described as one of the worst performances I have had as manager, certainly at Anfield."

But Benitez, who has been criticised for not using the likes of Fernando Torres or Peter Crouch regularily enough, dismissed the suggestion, adding: "You can talk about team selection, and we have been talking about big names, but those big names did not play well from the start."

Marseille deservedly scored 13 minutes from time through the outstanding Mathieu Valbuena, and they now have a 100% record of two wins from their opening two matches to top the group.

Their new coach Erik Gerets, in charge for the first time, said: "We were not expected to win this one, but we felt if we took the initiative and tried to attack, it would be a good tactic.

"We tried to get men forward and that is what brought us this victory."

Benitez now has to lift his side after a string of recent poor performances, including a fortunate draw at Porto last month in this group.

He said: "We could not create any clear chances, maybe a few at the end, but it was just not enough."

Liverpool now face a double header home and away against Besiktas, the group's bottom club.