BRUNO N'Gotty believes Wanderers' duel with Liverpool on Saturday could be a defining moment in the battle for European qualification.

Victory at Anfield would see the Whites leapfrog the Mersey Reds into fifth place and put more pressure on Everton, who currently occupy the fourth Champions League spot.

It will be a tough test but Sam Allardyce and his players are in buoyant mood after winning seven of their last nine Premiership games and N'Gotty, the Frenchman who has been inspirational at the heart of the defence, says they have nothing to fear.

"The Liverpool match is very important for both clubs," he said.

"In theory this is our biggest game of the season.

"Whoever wins on Saturday will have a fantastic chance of qualifying for European football next season and pushing on to challenge Everton for the crucial fourth spot in the league, which can bring Champions League qualification.

"Trying to win the game will be very difficult. In the past we have had mixed fortunes at Anfield and we will have to be at our best to come up with a win.

"We have a healthy squad full of quality and Liverpool will not relish the prospect of a resurgent Bolton trying to cause an upset on their home ground.

"We have already beaten them at the Reebok Stadium and, on our day, we are capable of beating any side in the competition."

N'Gotty, who scored the winning goal in Paris St Germain's European Cup Winners Cup triumph of 1996 and went on to play for AC Milan and Marseille before arriving at the Reebok in August, 2001, believes Wanderers deserve a place in Europe.

"European qualification would just round off the season in fine style," he said.

"I'm lucky enough to have played at the highest level in Europe with some very successful sides and I do miss it. It would be a great honour to help Bolton qualify for the first time in its history.

"Scoring the winning goal in the 1996 final against Rapid Vienna was probably the greatest moment of my career. Every footballer wants to play in Europe and I think the club is now ready to be associated with the continent's elite clubs.

"We have great European experience in the squad and that expertise will help us, should we fulfil our dream of playing in Europe next season."