LIVERPOOL, England - Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez has promised that Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho`s run of European success will end when the clubs meet for their Champions League semi-final at Anfield on Tuesday.
Last season the Londoners` Portuguese coach guided FC Porto to the Champions League title having won the UEFA Cup with the team the previous term.
His success has continued in England with Chelsea beating Liverpool in the League Cup final before wrapping up the Premiership with a 2-0 win away to Bolton last weekend.
But Liverpool, while inconsistent in the Premiership, have proved their solidity in Europe this season and the semi-final is evenly poised after a goalless first leg at Stamford Bridge.
Benitez, repeatedly asked Monday if Mourinho - the self-proclaimed "special one" - was the world`s best coach, replied: "Jose is one of the best coaches. He has a good team and he is a good manager so if you put together both those things you have a winning formula.
"He works hard and knows the game, but we will try to do the same. It is difficult to say if he is the best coach, he is one of the best, sure. He has a very good team, sure. But they will lose tomorrow (Tuesday).
"Chelsea have the most expensive team in the world and a good manager. But we have our supporters and Chelsea do not hold the balance, it is 50-50. If you look at the money they have spent on their squad, maybe Chelsea have more to lose than us.
"I do not think them winning the championship will affect them, you must say well done to their team, their manager and their supporters and then say `sorry` about the next competition because they will not win that."
Liverpool, four-times European Cup winners, have been unable to reproduce their Champions League form in the Premiership and even if they win the May 25 final in Istanbul their chance of defending the title next season, if they finish out of the top four in the Premiership, could rest with the English Football Association.
A precedent was set five years ago when the then European champions Real Madrid only finished fifth in the Primera Liga. Because they had won the Champions League a few months earlier, the Spanish football authorities opted for the Bernabeu club instead of Real Zaragoza, who had finished fourth - although it is unsure if the FA would take such a decision.
Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard meanwhile has been linked with a move to Chelsea but Benitez had no doubts about his skipper`s fidelity.
"In my opinion, Steve will be the key player for us. He can change a game and you saw against Middlesbrough on Saturday the kind of goals he can score, and I am sure he will play well.
"After his goal against Middlesbrough he would have heard the supporters as he celebrated and realised maybe how important he is for us and I am sure he will continue being an important player and want to play in more games like this for us.
"It is important when you play for a team for a lot of years and you can take them to the final and win. Stevie is like Jamie (Carragher), a local boy, and they have the passion that we want to see in all the players."
Benitez added: "We showed a European mentality at Stamford Bridge last week in the first leg and now we know we have our supporters behind us, it will make a difference.
"If you tell me you are 0-0 at home to Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea I would be confident of getting the result we need. We want the final, we want to make history, we will be trying very hard for that.
"We will miss Xabi (Alonso, suspended after a yellow card for a foul on Chelsea`s Eidur Gudjohnsen in the first leg) but we can play with two strikers, or use Didi (Hamann) and Igor (Biscan) alongside Stevie Gerrard.
"Even three strikers, we have plenty of possibilities."

05/02/2005 16:47 GMT