The Liverpool squad are due to fly down to London later today and the manager admits confidence in the camp is high. "Our idea is to win if possible," Benitez said. "Sometimes you have to play counter-attack and sometimes press high, it depends on the situation. But it would be good to score a goal and come away with the win. This is a very good positive situation for us and you have to approach games like this with confidence.
"Chelsea have been champions in this country for the last two years and they are a very strong side, especially at home. Maybe they are a better side than two years ago but we also have more experience now and I think we can do it. They will think a lot about trophies right now and have a big squad to cope with problems at this stage of the season. But they know the major competition now is the Champions League and they will be focused on it,"
Liverpool's 2-1 win in the first leg of their tie against Barcelona at the Nou Camp in March proved crucial as they beat the holders on away goals after a 1-0 defeat at Anfield. "We'll approach the game in the same way we did against Barcelona," Benitez added. "We'll try to win and try to score one or two goals. It will be difficult, though, because Chelsea do not concede a lot.
"You can talk about tactics and have everything perfect but one top player can change everything. [Didier] Drogba or [Steven] Gerrard can do something special so it's more important to think about players than tactics."
Benitez also revealed that Jerzy Dudek is set to leave Anfield in the close season. The club's 2005 Champions League hero has played only a handful of games since rival goalkeeper Jose Reina arrived at Anfield two summers ago and is out of contract at the end of the season.
The 34-year-old Poland international, a target for Wolfsburg and former club Feyenoord, said: "I have to finally tell Rafa I'm leaving because maybe he's not aware of it. I will remember Liverpool fondly as a success but not the situation I've found myself in. When a player knows he is a slave, he'll never give his employer his heart."
"He is out of contract at the end of the season," Benitez said. "We were talking about him and his future, and we expect him to leave at the end of the season."
Jamie Carragher will equal Ian Callaghan's club record of 89 European games for Liverpool when he faces Chelsea tomorrow. Benitez has a virtually clean bill of health for the Stamford Bridge clash, with full-back Steve Finnan now recovered from a neck problem that has kept him out for the last two matches.
Liverpool (from): Reina, Finnan, Arbeloa, Carragher, Hyypia, Agger, Riise, Pennant, Gerrard, Alonso, Sissoko, Mascherano, Fowler, Kuyt, Bellamy, Crouch, Dudek, Zenden.