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Benitez blames ref over extended injury time

23/04/2008

Rafael Benitez has hit out at the performance of the referee after his Liverpool side were held to a 1-1 draw by Chelsea at Anfield.

The Reds gave up a first-half lead earned courtesy of Dirk Kuyt's opener when John Arne Riise stooped for a header, only to put the ball beyond Pepe Reina and into his own net.

But rather than blame the Norwegian for handing the initiative to the Blues for the second leg, Benitez claimed the official, Konrad Plautz, had been at fault for allowing the match to continue for so long.

"It was a difficult match but I was very disappointed with the referee," the Spaniard said.

"He gave just one minute injury time in the first period and four in the second. It was hard to understand."

Plautz also refereed Liverpool's home group-stage match against French side Marseilles, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for Benitez's side.

And the manager said the official's performance was not unexpected.

"We knew what to expect because we'd had him before against Marseilles," he continued.

"All the free-kicks seemed to go against us. The first four free-kicks against us were for pushing, and then when one of their players [Ashley Cole] pushed one of our players in the back with both hands in the box, there was nothing."