Liverpool had taken a 2-0 first-half lead with goals from Sami Hyypia and Luis Garcia, before many observers criticised 19-year-old Carson for allowing Fabio Cannavaro’s second-half header to slip through his hands for a priceless away goal.

Liverpool now face a second leg next Wednesday in Turin, where Juve need just a 1-0 win to secure a place in the semi-finals against either Chelsea or Bayern Munich.

But Benitez said: “As for the goal, I will see the video and see his starting position and where his feet where, but I do not see it as a mistake, we will talk about it. I do not blame the ’keeper. But we were not ready for the corner and we reacted too late.

“The ball bounced right in front of the ’keeper and it was very difficult for him. He was in a good position but the bounce deceived him.”

Carson was plunged into his European debut because Jerzy Dudek had not fully recovered from a hamstring injury sustained on international duty with Poland last week.

Benitez explained: “Jerzy Dudek said he was not confident, he felt sore and it was better for us to use a player who was 100% fit.”

Juventus coach Fabio Capello accepted that his side were outplayed in the first period, but claimed he had anticipated all along that Liverpool would attack from the first whistle and play with two strikers, Milan Baros and Anthony Le Tallec.

He said: “I expected Liverpool to play with two forwards, but we allowed them to take far too much control and we just did not get started in the match.

“But I accept that we saw two excellent teams and Liverpool certainly played well. But I accept that at 2-0 down it was a very difficult task for us and I feared for the future.

“But at the break I impressed on the team that they could score and I felt we were also going to get the equaliser after we did managed to find the net.”

Benitez knew he had witnessed arguably the best first-half performance in his six months in charge at Anfield.

He said: “We had a very good first half, but they were better in the second period and it was difficult for us to keep the ball. But we won against a really great side, even though I accept that we must score in Turin.

“In that first period we did everything that we had talked about, we scored two great goals, but it is difficult to maintain that level for the whole 90 minutes.

“We had confidence and knew what we had to do, but 90 minutes at that tempo is very difficult to maintain. As for the second leg, we do have confidence but we know it will be more difficult.

“But do not forget that they must win the match to go through, they must attack us and only time will tell whether their goal was more important than our two.

“If we win or draw we are through. But do not forget that we have played very well against a great team. For me it means we can beat all the other teams in the tournament, but we must be confident to go out and play like that all the time and for a full 90 minutes.”