Boss: We'll be better tonight

Rafael Benitez today vowed his players will rise to the challenge of returning to winning ways against Lyon this evening.

The Reds are preparing for their Group E Champions League clash on the back of defeat at Sunderland on Saturday, but the boss has been delighted with the performances of his players in training since the weekend and insists they are in the mood to silence their critics tonight.
 
"The team will be fresh," said Benitez. "We had some players coming back from internationals (at Sunderland) and I think they were a little bit tired.
 
"But now everyone has to be okay and the extra motivation of the Champions League will be good. Also when the team needs something, the fans are right behind them.
 
"We will play better and things will be easier for us. We have had too many problems early on but the last two training sessions have been very good.
 
"We were the team that we were in the past. We have been well organised and I can see the players with a lot of confidence.
 
"We have been trying to find solutions to the problems and the response of the players has been very good in training.
 
"People were asking because we had scored a lot of goals whether we had changed tactics but we were doing the same things as always. We just had confidence.
 
"But if you analyse things, we were so close against Chelsea. We were in control of the game for a long time so we're not as bad as the table says.
 
"Hopefully as soon as we start winning games in a row again, it will be easier and the atmosphere will be better."