Liverpool find themselves in their best ever position in the Premier League era at Christmas.
They sit four points ahead of Manchester City at the top of the table and will be hoping to continue their excellent form at home to Newcastle this afternoon.
Any match at Anfield with Benitez as the visiting manager will give the Liverpool fans reason to celebrate their former manager.
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As well as leading the club to triumph in Istanbul 13 years ago, he has also been an active supporter of the Hillsborough campaign.
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The Spanish coach will be given a warm reception, but Aldridge isn’t excited about the prospect of seeing his Newcastle side “park the bus”.
Benitez has been criticised in the past for his defensive approach to games against the so-called top six.
But Aldridge believes Benitez takes his tactics one step too far.
“Rafael Benitez will get a warm welcome at Anfield this afternoon – and will then proceed trying to bore us all to tears in his effort to ensure his Newcastle team are not on the end of a hammering,” Aldridge told the Evening Herald.
“Benitez will argue he has no choice other than to park the bus and try to keep the score down at Anfield against the Premier League leaders and believe it or not, I reckon he would be happy to get out of this game with a 2-0 defeat.
“He’s working with very limited resources at Newcastle and has done a good job to keep them in the Premier League.
“But I find the negativity he employs in the games against the top six to be a little over the top.
“Liverpool beat Newcastle at Anfield last March despite Benitez deploying a flat back ten in a bid to stop the home side and I remember him telling the media after the 2-0 defeat that he tried to change things and show more ambition when his side fell behind.
“Well, I was at that game and all he did when Newcastle were trailing is make changes designed to ensure his team were not overwhelmed – as he sees these kind of games as crucial in protecting his side’s goal difference.
“A heavy defeat at Anfield could mean Newcastle end up going down by a goal or two on the final day of the season, so Benitez has to do what he feels he needs to in a bid to survive in the Premier League.
“It can be frustrating to watch a match featuring just one team trying to win, but I would back Jurgen Klopp’s team to get the job done in what may be a scrappy affair.”