Carragher eyes top spot for Liverpool

Liverpool sealed their passage to the knock-out stage of the Champions League after a hard-fought 1-0 win against Olympique Marseille on Wednesday but finishing second best in their grouFootball Champions League will not appease defender Jamie Carragher.

A third victory in two seasons over the French club secured Liverpool a place in the last 16 for the fifth year in a row but Carragher immediately set his team-mates a new target of winning Group D ahead of fellow qualifiers Atletico Madrid.

"You want to do it (qualify) as quickly as possible and maybe we would like to have done it a game earlier," the 30-year-old defender was quoted as saying on uefa.com.

"I don't know what the manager is going to do for the last game, but we want to try and finish top of the group. The most important thing is going through, but whatever league you are in with Liverpool you always want to be the best in it."

The Reds are level on 11 points with Atletico at the top, and the duo's head-to-head record after two 1-1 draws between the sides means first place in the section will be decided when they respectively travel to PSV Eindhoven and Marseille on December 9.

However, Carragher sees no real advantage in facing one of the runners-up in the first knock-out round when the Champions League resumes in February.

"It doesn't matter who you play next. It might be slightly easier in the next round if you get a second-placed team, but you never know. It's hard to say because all the best teams are in the Champions League."

Marseille praise

Captain Steven Gerrard hit the winner at Anfield with a 23rd-minute header, although Marseille can consider themselves unlucky not to have gained a point after the way they outwitted Liverpool in the second half.

Victory was the French club's only hope of staying in the competition, but Carragher praised Erik Gerets' men as he explained Liverpool's difficulties.

"Sometimes you have to give them credit," he said. "They are a good side. We've played them a few times now, they beat us 1-0 at home last year and they did very well tonight.

"We seem to find it easier against them away from home, but here they've caused us a few problems and you've got to say how well the opposition played."