Confidence remains high after Reds' loss

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez insists his side can still progress in the Europa League despite a 1-0 defeat in their last-16 first leg against Lille last night.

Winger Eden Hazard curled an 85th-minute free-kick over the Liverpool defence and past a static Jose Reina inside the far post just when it seemed the visitors had weathered the storm.

But it could have been far worse had substitute Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's shot not hit the post and gone wide late on.

Benitez had called for his players to show Monday's 1-0 defeat to Wigan had been an aberration and he felt they had done that.

"It was an improvement from the last game. The players' reaction has been very positive," said Benitez.

"I am disappointed with the result but really pleased with the effort of the players. They were fantastic. It was against a good team on a difficult pitch. The reaction has been good.

"I think Lille started really well. We knew they had pace – you can watch videos but until you see them on the pitch you don't see the pace they have.

"It was difficult to stop them but little by little we had more control. When we had that control and were going forward we conceded the goal."

Despite conceding plenty of possession to their opponents Liverpool could easily have been 2-0 up at half-time had Ryan Babel not shot too close to goalkeeper Mickael Landreau, who also brilliantly saved Fernando Torres's close-range header.

Benitez conceded that those missed opportunities cost them.

"When you play away you have to score when you have chances. To score an early goal, you can (then) manage the game," he said.

Fulham's hopes of a place in the quarter-finals have been left hanging by a thread as Juventus outclassed Roy Hodgson's side

3-1 at the Stadio Olimpico di Turin.

The Cottagers struggled for possession in the first half and went 2-0 down within 30 minutes through goals from Nicola Legrottaglie and Jonathan Zebina.

Dickson Etuhu pulled one back but Fulham always looked second best and David Trezeguet's sharp third goal emphasised the gulf in class between the two sides.