Liverpool: Liverpool won’t have long to bask in Europe’s adulation after a majestic 8-0 rout of Besiktas.

By next month, Tuesday’s record Champions League result will be worthless if the Reds can’t secure their passage into the knockout phase by seeing off FC Porto and Marseille.

“I prefer to win trophies more than these kind of records,” manager Rafa Benitez said, standing in Anfield’s trophy room.

After managing only one point in their first three group games, Liverpool’s rout was the most lopsided victory in Champions League history, beating the 7-0 record that Juventus set in 2003 and Arsenal matched two weeks ago.

Like Benitez, his players’ euphoria was largely restrained, focusing on the future rather than gloating about the historic feat.

“The rest of Europe will also be aware of what we have done,” Benitez said. “But in the end we still have to win those last two games, regardless of how many goals we scored this time.”

Before crushing the Turks, Liverpool had three listless displays in group A, getting their solitary point from an opening draw at Porto. That was followed by a demoralising defeat at home to Marseille and a now unimaginable loss in Istanbul two weeks ago.

“We let ourselves down with the start we had in the group — we’re a better side then that,” striker Peter Crouch said.

“We’re our worst critics and we’ve not been as good as we would have liked recently,” Crouch said. “Hopefully we’ve now put that to bed and we’ll take a lot of confidence from that.”

“Before the game we were under a bit of pressure,” he said. “Once I scored I thought that we controlled the game and from then on we played the ball about and it was a fantastic result.”

Benitez said his team’s character shone through on Tuesday night.

“They were hungry,” he said. “It was a very open game for us and the quality we have can be difficult to be stopped. You don’t have too many opportunities like this in the Champions League.”

The accomplishments of his summer recruits also inspired confidence. Israeli playmaker Yossi Benayoun claimed a hattrick and Dutch winger Ryan Babel scored twice.

“Benayoun was always around,” Benitez said. “He showed he is a clever player.”