BR: Let's complete job at the Ataturk
Liverpool are determined to complete their Europa League job against Besiktas at an historic venue from the club's past, Brendan Rodgers insisted from Istanbul.
The Reds touched down in Turkey on Wednesday evening ahead of tomorrow night's second leg of their last 32 tie with Slaven Bilic's organised and talented team.
They hold a 1-0 advantage in the meeting after Mario Balotelli converted a composed penalty in front of the Kop six days ago in the opening clash between the sides.
For the return, Rodgers' charges will step out at the Ataturk Stadium, scene of Liverpool's dramatic and unforgettable Champions League triumph in 2005.
The historic significance of the ground, and notably the size of the pitch, are factors that the Northern Irishman was keen to embrace as he previewed the decider.
"It was an historic night for the club and everyone associated with Liverpool respects that," the manager said of what occurred at the Ataturk a decade ago.
"Of course, it was a little while ago and there won't be too many of our players that were involved at that time. But certainly it is a really iconic stadium for the club and a big part of that history.
"For us to go there and play with a lot of young players and a new squad, against a good team, we'll look forward to. It's a big pitch, which suits our style.
"If you look at the size of the field, in terms of the Premier League it would be the third-biggest pitch. So in terms of the pace that we have in our team, and the movement and technical players that we have, the pitch should suit us quite well.
"We're looking forward to the atmosphere - it should be really good. And we want to complete the job. The confidence is very high in the team.
"Any changes that we make in the team, the players come in and know the collective job and are performing at a very high level. So we expect the same, to continue with that confidence level. We'll look to carry that confidence into the game."
The Reds trained at Melwood on Wednesday morning, honing their match preparations, before taking to the skies in travelling to Turkey later in the day.
Jordan Henderson, Glen Johnson and Mamadou Sakho were three absentees from the session, however, ruled out of the Besiktas fixture due to injury and illness.
Rodgers was asked about the condition of his squad at his pre-match press conference and reported a number of knocks for his busy group of players.
He explained: "We have got a few injuries; we are probably out here without about eight of our squad, that have picked up knocks - some previous and some from the weekend.
"But we still have a strong enough squad to hopefully complete the job. We have got a few knocks and niggles from the weekend."
The initial contest at Anfield saw Liverpool control much of the proceedings, keen to establish a lead while always conscious of the threats posed by Bilic's men.
In between times, the Reds have been to Southampton and claimed a priceless 2-0 victory, giving Rodgers a respectful level of confidence for the Turkey rematch.
"Besiktas had two shots on our goal," the boss said of last week's game. "Our goalkeeper had to make one save of note - Simon Mignolet made a very good save from Demba Ba.
"Apart from that, I think we dominated the game. But we respect our opponent; we're not arriving in Turkey being arrogant enough to think that it will be comfortable.
"We understand that it's a difficult game. But this is a team that is playing very well away from home, not just at Anfield. We're performing extremely well away from home. This is another game that will be a challenge to that, but we look forward to it."