Benitez: United are favourites

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The Liverpool boss was reacting to Friday's quarter-final draw which has paired the Anfield club with Chelsea for the fifth season on the trot in this competition.

Benitez said: "Manchester United must now be favourites - they have an easier draw than us."

If Liverpool get past the Blues, they must play Barcelona or Bayern Munich in the semi-finals for the right to take part in the Rome final on May 27.

Manchester United will play Porto in the quarter-finals and if they are successful they would play the winners of the Arsenal v Villarreal tie in the last four.

Benitez added: "Our half of the draw is the more difficult now after this draw."

But Benitez was pleased the prospect of Liverpool having to play on the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough disaster was now gone.

"Obviously we did not want to do that and with the second leg of our quarter-final now scheduled for London on the 14th (April), our wishes have been agreed with," he said.

"Hopefully it won't make a difference to us that the second leg is away.

"We have to think about the first game at Anfield with our fans behind us and look to get a positive result to take to Stamford Bridge. We need to make sure we don't make a mistake in the first leg like we did in last year's semi-final."