RAFAEL BENITEZ is hoping Liverpool fans give him a warm welcome when he returns to Anfield tomorrow, even if the Newcastle United boss is desperate to leave with a much-needed victory in the relegation run-in.

The Magpies can climb out of the bottom three if they stun Jurgen Klopp’s side on home turf, where the Reds have scored 12 goals in their last three home games and are still in with a shout of finishing in the top four.

But Benitez has worked since Tuesday’s draw with Manchester City on how to keep Liverpool at bay as he looks for a result which will give the fight for survival in the Premier League a further twist.

It will be the first time the 55-year-old has returned to his old club in a competitive fixture since April 2013, an infamous afternoon when Luis Suarez bit Branislav Ivanovic when he was interim Chelsea boss.

But supporters will always remember him as the manager when Liverpool bounced back from three goals down to AC Milan to win the Champions League in 2005.

Benitez said: "There are a lot of similarities between the Geordies and Scousers, the atmosphere and the passion of the crowd, we're fighting and they're fighting - they have a good manager and good players so we're trying to replicate what we had here the other day (against Manchester City).

“The atmosphere with the Geordies and Scousers cheering on their teams will be fantastic. The cities are similar, they're passionate. They're workers and I like this.

"I hope there is a good reception, my connection with the city is fantastic, my family lives there and we have a foundation helping people but we will try to get three points.”

Benitez managed Liverpool between 2004 and 2010 and touchingly donated £96,000 to the Hillsborough Family Support Group in the immediate aftermath of his Liverpool exit six years ago.

Despite his close association with the Merseyside club, however, he is faced with the challenge of keeping Newcastle in the Premier League with just three games remaining.

He said: "This we have to believe, I'm very happy the reaction of the team in the last two games, the intensity, passion and character on the pitch, the players showed they believe and I hope everybody has the same feeling. We'll fight to the end.

"It's the way we have to act if we want to be stronger. Competition between players is really important especially at the end of the season when you have so many important games.

"As a team we have to work hard in attack and defence, Liverpool are scoring a lot of goals but we will go there to win. We've had injuries and problems, we are where we are but we have to carry on and stick together.”

Benitez confirmed young defender Kevin Mbabu is available again after injury, but Fabricio Coloccini and Daryl Janmaat remain sidelined.

The Newcastle boss said: "It would be massive for everyone and fantastic for me if we stay up but you can't rank things, people ask me about Istanbul (2005) but it's different. Staying up would be massive and I'd be really pleased and it could be the beginning of something special for this club.”