MUCH has been said about Benitez's contract dispute with the Liverpool owners.

The power struggle, which lasted some 18 months, is showing no signs of abating. And Benitez has yet to sign an extension to his contract, which runs out in about 18 months.

It is said that he demands more control over football matters at the Merseyside club, which the American owners were reluctant to relinquish.

One of them includes the club's transfer policy.

It was with a shroud of uncertainty that Benitez actually prepared his Liverpool side for the Champions League clash against Real Madrid.

It was said that most of the players, believed to be about 80 per cent of them, were behind the Spaniard.

Just how Rafa and his players managed to focus on their task at the Bernabeu was a miracle of sorts.

Not only did they avoid defeat. They even scored an away goal in the first leg to beat the Spanish club 1-0.

Benitez, however, has since rubbished talks that he is leaving the club, and revealed that his lawyers had held talks with representatives of the club's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett, in Madrid before the match.

He also added that he is in no hurry to tie up a deal.

ALL EYES were on the starting line-up.

Most Liverpool fans were expecting Gerrard to make a full recovery from his injury to face mighty Real Madrid.

Even a half-fit Gerrard would do.

Such is his importance to the team.

There are still many who believe that the Reds are a one-man team, helmed by Gerrard and doomed if he's missing.

Gerrard had to do a special warm-up in the dressing room before the game, before joining the rest.

Alas, he still wasn't ready to start the game.

Real Madrid were rubbing their hands in glee when they saw the team list.

Liverpool must be there for the taking, or so they thought.

But the Reds had the last laugh.

Gerrard might have been missing from the start, but their team spirit carried them through nevertheless.

AS IF the absence of Gerrard from the starting line-up wasn't enough, Liverpool also had to put up with a half-hit Torres on the field.

It was only half-way through the first half when Torres fell awkwardly while defending a corner.

As he hobbled off the field for treatment, Liverpool fans were fearing the worst.

For there were not too many reliable attacking options for Benitez to turn to on the bench, except for David Ngog and Ryan Babel.

In the end, Benitez chose to stick with Torres and played him until the 62nd minute, before replacing him with Babel.

During this time, Torres was clearly struggling with his ankle injury, and didn't give much of a problem to the Real Madrid defenders.

Considering the fact that Liverpool relied mostly on Gerrard and Torres for the bulk of their goals, it was a terrible omen for the Reds.

But Liverpool dug deep, defended well, and eventually got their reward.

Yossi Benayoun scored his first Champions League goal eight minutes from the final whistle to hand Liverpool a famous victory.

AND THEN there was the contrast in form.

Liverpool were struggling to keep up with the pace in the English Premiership.

They only managed to pick up five league wins in their last 10 games.

From leading the league table by six points, they have now fallen seven points adrift of leaders Manchester United.

On the other hand, Real Madrid were flying.

They had just won their ninth consecutive league match over the weekend - a 6-1 thumping of Real Betis.

At the same time, they also reduced the gap between them and trail-blazers Barcelona from 12 points to seven.

Add to that the sizzling form of Arjen Robben, Raul, Lassana Diarra and Gonzalo Higuain, and there looked to be no way out for Liverpool.

But football turned on its magic once again and underdogs Liverpool triumphed.

EVEN history was against Liverpool.

Yossi Benayoun's 82nd-minute goal saw the Reds become only the second ever British team to win at the Bernabeu.

Manchester United failed to do so on four attempts.

Leeds United lost 3-2 in 2001.

Spurs drew 0-0 in 1985.

Derby County were thumped 5-1 there in 1975.

It was Arsenal which first did it in 2006, beating the Los Merengues 1-0 in a Champions League Round-of-16 fixture.