'Fans and first goal will be key'
Brendan Rodgers is hoping his players can create their own piece of Liverpool history when they step out against Zenit St Petersburg in front of a packed Anfield crowd on Thursday night.
The Northern Irishman finds himself surrounded by nostalgia on a daily basis at Melwood, where quotes and pictures are emblazoned across the walls - all paying tribute to the club's rich heritage in European football.
And with Anfield ready to re-create the kind of atmosphere that has swept the Reds to victory on so many memorable nights, Rodgers wants his side to score the first goal and give themselves a golden chance of staging a fightback.
"The legend of Liverpool is based on these types of nights," Rodgers told reporters gathered in the trophy room at Anfield.
"If you walk around Melwood, you see various quotes from top players and some of the world's best managers. In those quotes, it's not the game that is talked about, it's the supporters - and it's such nights that has really made Liverpool what it is.
"The fans will be vital on Thursday night - as they always are in every game. But we'll need them even more. I'm sure we'll get the type of backing that can take us to victory.
"The important factor is not getting an early goal, it's about getting the first goal. If we get the first goal, it will set us up. We'd love to get through."
In the absence of Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Fabio Borini, Luis Suarez will lead the Liverpool line - just as he did at the Petrovsky Stadium last Thursday.
The Uruguayan was unfortunate not to clinch an away goal for the Reds out in Russia despite going close on several occasions.
However, the manager was delighted by the way his No.7 put any disappointment to one side and bounced back with a sparkling performance against Swansea at Anfield three days later.
"Luis just wants to help the team so much," said Rodgers. "After the game in Zenit, he could have been disappointed after having missed a few chances, but he is a real buoyant spirit.
"He didn't want to come off against Swansea, even though there was only 15 minutes left to go. He wanted to stay on and get more goals. But I wanted to look at the bigger picture.
"I wanted him to get a round of applause from the crowd because I thought he deserved it and he's going to be very important for us tomorrow night. So I was giving him a bit of a breather. He's a critical player for us."
During the early stages of the competition, the manager was keen to blood young players into the side.
And while tomorrow's clash is set to see the Reds' more experienced stars take centre-stage, Rodgers was keen to heap praise on what the club's youngsters have achieved so far this season.
"The young players have been brilliant this year," he said. "There can't be too many teams who have got to this stage of the season with teenagers playing in their side for more or less the majority of the season.
"The young lads know I am with them all the way which is why I demand so much from them. The likes of Raheem Sterling, if he didn't kick a ball until the end of the season, he has had a good season.
"If you look across the five top leagues, there is a very small percentage of players playing who are under the age of 21. The young players have given us what we really needed - that bit of freshness and enthusiasm and they will grow after this season and become better players for it."
A commanding victory over Swansea proved the perfect response to a week of football which saw the Reds fall to successive 2-0 defeats against West Brom and Zenit.
And while the manager acknowledges that it will continue to be a gradual process, he believes his side are showing progress - something a memorable win against Zenit would help underline.
"The development of the group was never going to be like a bolt of lightning," said Rodgers. "It was going to be over a period of time. The process of learning has taken place. We've shot ourselves in the foot a number of times but that doesn't mean there's not been development at both ends of the pitch.
"We're making progress and a win here will certainly help our appetite going forward. We'll put everything into the game.
"Last week a few lapses in concentration cost us the deficit of the game and has made our job much more harder than we wanted it to be. But we also showed that we can create chances and that's something that will give us quiet confidence that we can go about our work well."