Liverpool's players accept they must forget about their midweek Champions League triumph at Inter Milan to make sure they qualify for next season's competition.
The Reds must hang on to fourth place in the Premier League to ensure qualification as they can hardly leave themselves with the only remaining option of winning the Champions League in Moscow.
After six successive wins, fourth-placed Liverpool now need to beat Reading at Anfield on Saturday to keep themselves ahead of local rivals Everton, who are back in fifth only on goal difference.
Striker Dirk Kuyt said: "Our target now is obviously to go to the final, but we have to make sure we are in the Champions League again next season. This club has to be there, that is the biggest objective.
"We must keep going, beat Reading, and make sure that we are in those top-four teams at the top of the Premier League at the end of the season. It is almost more important than anything else."
Liverpool know they dare not leave themselves with having to win the Champions League to claim a place in next season's competition as holders.
When they finished fifth in 2005, having won the trophy in Istanbul, it took weeks of negotiating to get them back into the tournament on a 'wild card'.
Then Everton, who finished fourth, took the English league's final place. This season it will be different because new UEFA rules allow the holders back in as one of their own league's qualifiers, taking their country's fourth place.
The worse-case scenario for Everton would be to finish fourth again and see Liverpool win in Moscow.
But Liverpool know they cannot leave it that long.
Brazilian full-back Aurelio also accepts they must do the job properly and claim fourth for themselves.
He said: "We have to keep going now in the Premier League.
"We obviously have given ourselves a harder schedule, but we know that finishing fourth is vital. If we do not do that, we may well not be in there Champions League next season.
"The quarter-finals of the Champions League will be difficult, with three other English sides involved, plus Barcelona and Roma. We cannot leave ourselves with having to win the trophy to be admitted next season."
Boss Rafael Benitez must decide whether to rest any of his heroes who beat Inter, but as the season reaches its climax, the Spanish coach is more inclined to less rotation.
Of 26-goal Fernando Torres, he said: "Playing two games a week can be hard, but I expect him to play against Reading."
Benitez must also decide whether to recall Xabi Alonso, who opted to miss the Milan trip to be with his girl-friend when she gave birth on the day of the match to their first son.
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