"There's no doubt we are a better team than we were last season when we won the European Cup, so let's just say that we aren't about to give up our trophy easily," said the Liverpool captain.
"The Benfica game is massive for us and I think everyone will see on the night how determined we are to retain our crown. We might be a goal down from the first leg, but the mood at Anfield is that we still have both hands on the trophy.
"No one relishes coming to Anfield these days. We had some fantastic nights there last season against Olympiacos, Juventus and Chelsea and we will need another one against Benfica.
"We need another high-tempo performance. We will be looking to strangle them out of the game in their own half just like we did to so many teams in Europe last year.
"From what we saw of Benfica in the first game, we believe we can certainly turn the tie around. In fact, if we get the first goal then I believe a few of their heads will drop – and once our fans sense that is happening they will be right on them.
"Teams struggle against us if we play with the right tempo. That is what has made us so difficult to play at Anfield. The good thing is that this year we have also showed an improvement in the Premiership. There are a few pieces still missing from the jigsaw, but we are looking to finish the season second behind Chelsea and also win the European Cup again."