Benitez says Marseille defeat is one of his worst

Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez said Wednesday's 1-0 Champions League defeat by Marseille was one of the worst since he took over in 2004.

"This could be the worst game we have had since I came here, especially at home. It was a bad game," Benitez told reporters after their surprise Group A defeat at Anfield.

Mathieu Valbuena's stunning goal earned the French side a surprise win and leaves Liverpool struggling in the group.

"We were not playing well, that was clear. We weren't doing the right things and we were giving the ball away," added Benitez.

"We couldn't create any clear chances until the end with some corners and a little bit of pressure, but we really didn't play well."

Benitez defended the controversial rotation policy that saw him make five changes to his team, including bringing in the ineffective striker Peter Crouch and midfielder Momo Sissoko.

"We can talk about team selection but we are talking about big names out there, but they did not play well," he added.

"Is there anything positive to take from the match? The only comforting thing is that it has finished."