Carragher hails great result

Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool can take "massive confidence" from their 4-1 victory over Benfica which sent them into the semi-finals of the UEFA Europa League.

Liverpool wrapped up a 5-3 aggregate win as Fernando Torres struck twice to add to goals from Dirk Kuyt and Lucas. "It was a great night in the end," Carragher said on Five. "The first 20 minutes they played well, it was important not to concede and to get the first goal was massive in the game. In the Europa League we've beaten a very good side, a top team, and it's a very good result."

"We can take massive confidence from this as they are flying in their league and next season will probably be in the Champions League," he went on. "Before the draw was made they were the ones that everyone was trying to stay away from so this is a great result."

Kuyt broke the deadlock in the 28th minute, heading home from a corner, but there was initially confusion as the assistant raised his flag for offside before being overruled by the Dutch referee. "There was a bit of confusion, but it was a corner so it couldn't be offside," Kuyt said. "The linesman thought someone on our team touched the ball on so it was offside but he changed his mind and we had the goal."

Kuyt was able to strongly make his case to his fellow countryman. "The rules are the same in every country," he added. "It wasn't offside, it was a goal."

Fernando Torres, controversially substituted in the draw at Birmingham on Saturday, was again the star as he made sure of the win with a brace, the first of which was set up by Kuyt in a brilliant counter-attacking move.

"He played really well," Kuyt added. "He has a little injury but he kept going and scored two fantastic goals for us. "We just have to keep going. We're in the semi-finals now, that's what we want, to win some silverware so we'll just keep going."

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