The Merseyside rivals will clash twice in a week, in the Premier League on Jan 19 and then in the fourth round of the Cup the following weekend.
Both matches are at Liverpool's Anfield home ground and Benitez told the club's official website on Monday: 'It is a draw which will excite everyone in the city, because everyone knows about the great rivalry that exists between the two clubs.
'But we must remember that we have some big games coming up in the league before the cup tie - and we will be taking one game at a time,' the cautious Spaniard added.
'Only when the cup game comes around will it become our focus. Before then we play Stoke and Everton in the league, so we must keep our attention on those matches.
'But it is good to have so many important matches, because it shows that your team is doing well.' Liverpool have been boosted by the return of fit-again Fernando Torres, who scored on his comeback in last weekend's 2-0 Cup win over Preston.
