When the Champions League draw took place, Liverpool needed several things to increase their chances of winning not only this competition, but also the Premier League.

As is the case in the current era of Jürgen Klopp and Pep Guardiola, the fortunes of Liverpool and Manchester City are usually linked. Only one can earn each of the three remaining trophies on offer, though both might ultimately earn it.

The UEFA draw – done correctly on first request this time – matched liverpool with Benfica: a big check in the “what we wanted to see” box. But the good news didn’t stop there.

Manchester City and Chelsea are both on opposite sides of the draw, with Guardiola’s men facing what could prove to be a tricky double game with Atlético Madrid, although an Atlético Madrid that Liverpool already have beaten home and away this season.

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The winner will face either Chelsea or Real Madrid; just as tricky as Bayern Munich (assuming they overtake Villarreal), who await the Reds if they can beat Benfica.

More interestingly, Liverpool and Manchester City will be playing on the same night in the Champions League, so neither have a huge advantage ahead of the clash between the two in the league in terms of recovery time and preparation time. The two have five days after the first leg before they meet at the Etihad Stadium, sandwiched between the two European fixtures.

But Atlético should be a tougher test and closer bond overall than Liverpool’s visit to Benfica, although Manchester City will ultimately be favorites to get the job done against Diego Simeone’s well-prepared side. It’s not the Atlético of three or four years ago, but they will always make it tough and keep the scoreline tight, especially against a team that has struggled to score goals at times lately.

The way is there for a Liverpool vs Manchester City final in Paris although there is plenty of action to be played before then. The top two in England are the competition favorites and that is, statistically, the most likely outcome, although football does not always follow that pattern.

Whether Liverpool would rather face Guardiola over two legs or one is a point that can be debated, but they have at least avoided the possibility of having to play against Manchester City four times in 18 days. There’s still a chance it could be two weekends in a row if the duo go head-to-head in the FA Cup semi-final at Wembley, but that would be far less daunting than a four-time header in pursuit of four trophies .

Frankly, playing as little as possible at Manchester City is better. If the teams played each other four times in such a short time, it would have been a nightmare – after all, it’s hard to imagine a team winning all four encounters (or at least making the most progress in each of the three competitions) .

If Liverpool are to claim the treble this season, they will always need a bit of luck in the draw for each competition, and so far the Gods of Football (if Mikaël Silvestre, the man chosen by UEFA to select meetings, can be called like that…) played ball. The quadruple is still on the way and while it remains an almost impossible task to win it all, it is undoubtedly more likely than it was a few hours ago.

How things can change in football.

At the start of 2022, Liverpool’s title hopes looked dashed, consigned to history as a 2-2 draw with Chelsea left them 14 points behind Man City.

Moreover, most felt that City’s lead was not only unassailable, but that the nature of how they won games, beating teams with such ease, was unlikely to slow down. They just had too much class, too much quality, and in Pep Guardiola, too good and too experienced a manager.

And yet, ten weeks later, things seem very different indeed.

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Liverpool’s decisive win over Arsenal at the Emirates now reduces that 14-point gap to just one. Yes, a single point separates the two sides.

Moreover, fate is now in the hands of Liverpool. If they win each of their remaining matches, including the massive match (and it cannot be overstated how much) against City on April 10, then Liverpool will have regained their Premier League.

And if they did, it would become one of the greatest comebacks in Premier League history, but would it be as the greatest?

When one tends to think of Premier League title comebacks, the mind instantly springs back to 1996, when Manchester United reversed a whopping 12-point swing over Newcastle to claim their third league title in four seasons.

Man United looked almost dead on Christmas, with Kevin Keegan’s side rolling down the flanks via the ‘you score three, we’ll score four’ method. But strangely the goals dried up in the second half of the season and Eric Cantona’s form gave United the confidence to eventually turn the tide. In the end, they had the title comfortably sewn up, and Newcastle never came close again.

Manchester United were the recipient two years later when, in 1997/98, Arsenal became United’s biggest rivals for a period of seven years. Arsene Wenger’s side were 11 points behind United at the start of March but cut it (it must be said they had three games in hand) and then overtook United, beating them at Old Trafford along the way.

United’s collapse allowed Arsenal to win the league despite losing their last two league games, and it marked the start of the rivalry between Sir Alex Ferguson and Wenger.

United rebounded five years later when the two teams faced off for the title once again. In 2002/03 Arsenal were flying and Thierry Henry was at the absolute peak of his powers, scoring 24 goals and registering 20 assists (as every Arsenal fan likes to recall at least once a week).

In March, they were eight points clear of United. But their collapse, while not spectacular, was strange. They won just four of their remaining nine league games, and United’s form after Christmas was relentless. They didn’t lose a single game after Boxing Day and won the title after Leeds beat Arsenal at Highbury in a thrilling match.

They won the title by five points, a swing of 13 points in total.

So where would Liverpool’s comeback fit among these?

If they did, it could be argued that it would become the greatest comeback of the Premier League era. Not just in terms of the math, but in terms of what Man City stands for, the massive difference between the resources of both sides and the amount of money spent building their team.

In the above cases, financial inequality was not as pronounced as it is now. It would make Liverpool’s potential achievement all the more remarkable if they were successful.

The 2019/20 triumph was a historic achievement, ending the club’s three-decade wait for a title. But if Jürgen Klopp and Liverpool won the title, then that would be the real story of the Premier League.

Karim Benzema was Real Madrid’s MVP for the second game in a row as they eliminated Mallorca on Monday.

Five days after his Champions League hat-trick against Paris Saint-Germain, Benzema scored twice and set up another as Mallorca were beaten 3-0 at Palma.

Setting up Vinicius Junior for the 55th-minute opener, Benzema took his La Liga assist tally to 11 in 25 games this season.

The weekend soccer slate shifts to the United States as parity in Major League Soccer continues to stick out like a sore thumb. Going into the third week of the season, only four teams have won their first two matches so far. Will they be able to continue the good races or will they join others who have lost points? Tottenham will also travel to Old Trafford and will be hoping to win their third game on the rebound instead of returning to their rollercoaster form this season as we finish with Serie A and their race wide open for the scudetto.

Here’s what we’re looking at this weekend:

5. New York Red Bulls vs Minnesota United

Dated: Sunday March 13 | Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Direct: ESPN+
Caesars Sportsbook odds: New York -150; Draw +280; Minnesota United +440

Why watch: The Red Bulls are one of four remaining teams to have won their first two league games to start the season, but hosting the Loons will be a test to see what they are made of. Lewis Morgan is fresh off a hat trick against Toronto and summer signing Luquinhas has arrived. They’re a team that could improve between now and the season, but containing the attack led by Franco Fragapane and Emanuel Reynoso will be a tough test for the defense even with Aaron Long back in the fold. The Loons have drawn their first two games despite attacking too well to be limited to one goal per game.

4. Torino vs Inter Milan

Dated: Sunday March 13 | Time: 3:45 p.m. ET
Direct: Paramount+
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Torino +440; Draw +275; Inter-150

Why watch: Inter Milan will look to hold their heads high despite being eliminated in their Champions League win at Anfield over Liverpool as the focus shifts to winning a second scudetto in a row. The Serie A title race is tight with AC Milan, Inter and Napoli separated by just three points. If one of them slips, Juventus are waiting to pounce. The midfield duo of Hakan Calhanoglu and Nicolo Barella will be tough for Torino to deal with, but they have one of the best defensive records in the league when it comes to battling the Nerazzurri. Allowing just 28 goals, Torino has the fourth-best defensive record in Italy and is the only team with less than 30 goals allowed to not feature in the top five due to their lack of goalscoring. Can they get a signature win to end their bad form streak?

3. Chelsea v Newcastle United

Dated: Sunday March 13 | Time: 10:00 a.m. ET
Direct: peacock
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Chelsea -300; Draw +400; Newcastle +900

Why watch: While the potential sale of Chelsea and the looming problems with travel to away games grab the headlines, there are still football games to play. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe threatened relegation as Newcastle United climb the table with three rebound wins. Up to 14th in the league they are pretty much safe and that is with Allan Saint-Maximin who has missed the last few games with muscle injuries. This is a game where if Chelsea slip up, Newcastle can make them pay unlike the Norwich side who Chelsea knocked out in midweek.

Want to know more about this breakup story? Listen below and follow ¡Que Golazo! A daily football podcast from CBS where we take you beyond the pitch and around the world for commentary, previews, recaps and more.

2. Seattle Sounders vs. LA Galaxy

Dated: Saturday March 12 | Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox | Direct: fuboTV (Try for free)
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Seattle Pollsters +118; Draw +230; Los Angeles Galaxy +245

Why watch: Two teams that should be near the top of the Western Conference face off. While the Sounders struggle with injuries to Nicolas Lodeiro, Will Bruin and Raul Ruidiaz, they managed to dismantle Leon at home in the Concacaf Champions League. Meanwhile, the Galaxy left him late in their opening two matches as their defense gave them a win at every opportunity. Raheem Edwards is proving to be a fine addition to Greg Vanney’s squad, but can they use form to their advantage to open up an early points gap on the Sounders?

1. Manchester United v Tottenham

Dated: Saturday March 12 | Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Direct: peacock
Caesars Sportsbook odds: Manchester United +115; Draw +245; Tottenham+235

Why watch: Two teams that have not fared well against top opponents meet in a critical clash to determine the race to the Premier League‘s top four. Antonio Conte is blackmailing Tottenham with nine goals scored in his last two matches, but things are set to be a little tougher against Manchester United even after the side fell flat in a 4-1 derby against Manchester City. Cristiano Ronaldo will be fit and available this weekend, but that could prove a distraction for United given he has just one goal in eight Premier League appearances this calendar year.

Honorable Mentions

(all US/Eastern times)

Friday March 11: A game to follow in…

• Spain: Atletico Madrid vs Cadiz, 3 p.m. (ESPN+)
• France: Lille vs Saint-Etienne 3 p.m. (beIN Sports and fuboTV — Free trial)
• Argentina: Arsenal v Velez Sarsfield, 5:15 p.m. (Paramount+)

Saturday March 12: A game to follow in…

• MLS: DC United vs. Chicago Fire, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• England: Brighton v Liverpool, 7:30 a.m. (Peacock)
• Spain: Villarreal v Celta de Vigo, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Italy: Sampdoria v Juventus, 12 p.m. (Paramount+)
• Germany: Hoffenheim vs. Bayern Munich, 9:30 a.m. (ESPN+)
• France: Troyes vs Nantes, 3 p.m. (beIN Sports and fuboTV — Free trial)
• Argentina: Sarmiento vs. Newell’s Old Boys, 5:15 p.m. (Paramount+)

Sunday March 13: A game to follow in…

• MLS: Atlanta United vs. Charlotte, 4:30 p.m. (FS1 and fuboTV — Try it for free)
• England: West Ham United vs. Aston Villa, 10 a.m. (US and fuboTV – Try Free)
• Spain: Barcelona vs. Osasuna, 4 p.m. (ESPN+)
• Italy: Udinese v Roma, 1 p.m. (Paramount+)
• Germany: Bayer Leverkusen vs. Cologne, 10:30 a.m. (ESPN+)
• France: PSG vs Bordeaux, 8 a.m. (beIN Sports and fuboTV — Try for free)
• Argentina: Estudiantes vs. Boca Juniors, 8:30 p.m. (Paramount+)

Leeds 0 Aston Villa 3

Leeds United remain firmly embroiled in a Premier League relegation battle after slipping to a 3-0 loss to Aston Villa on Thursday in American manager Jesse Marsch’s first home game.

Sitting two points above the drop zone before the game, Leeds lacked quality in the frontcourt as they sought a first win in eight games, with the hosts falling behind in the 22nd minute when Philippe Coutinho’s strike slipped out.

The Elland Road crowd grew frustrated as his side misplaced pass after pass, allowing Villa to add a second to full-back Matty Cash in the 65th minute and end the clash like a contest.

There was still time for Calum Chambers to complete a sublime third for Villa as the fans headed for an early exit, with their side two points clear of Burnley in 18th but having played two games more.

Villa’s third straight win lifted them to ninth place in the standings.

Wolves 4 Watford 0

Watford’s dwindling Premier League survival hopes suffered another blow as a terrible 21-minute opener saw them comfortably beaten at Wolves.

A 4-0 loss at Molineux leaves Watford with just one win in their last 16 Premier League outings, with Roy Hodgson’s side three points from safety with 10 games remaining.

17th-placed Everton have superior goal difference and three games in hand as an early strike from Raul Jimenez, an own goal from Cucho Hernandez and an effort from Daniel Podence saw Wolves roll with less than a quarter of the game – and a nice chip from Ruben Neves rounded off a commanding display late.

Three rebound losses for the home side never seemed to become four as they remain hopeful of securing European qualification at the end of the season.

Hodgson took his cap off at the trio of goals scored by Arsenal to defeat Watford on Sunday – but here he shook his head in disbelief.

Jimenez had all the time he needed to control a pass from attacking partner Hwang Hee-chan and convert from just six yards to open the scoring with 13 minutes on the clock.

Eight minutes later and the game was well beyond Watford, Hernandez obediently deflecting a cross from Rayan Ait-Nouri into his own goal before goalkeeper Ben Foster kicked his lines from a clearance and presented the ball to Podence, who made no mistake at 25 yards.

Foster, with the full force of the South Bank Wolves fans now on his back, again found Podence with an errant clearance, but this time the striker couldn’t pick up a shot over the goalkeeper. goal from 40 yards.

Almost every chance presented itself to the home side as substitutes Pedro Neto and Fabio Silva were close to extending the lead.

Wolves would strike again in the closing stages, with Neves deftly controlling the ball from the edge of the box before firing a perfect finish at Foster.

Southampton 1 Newcastle 2

Bruno Guimaraes scored the winner for Newcastle United with a brilliant volley from the back heels as his side came from within a goal to secure a vital 2-1 victory at Southampton.

Stuart Armstrong put Southampton ahead midway through the first half with a deflected header, but Chris Wood equalized for the visitors with an accurate header from Jonjo Shelvey’s superb cross in the 32nd minute.

It was the striker’s first goal in his eighth appearance for Newcastle, and Guimaraes also grabbed his first for the Magpies with bold skill in the 66th minute, reacting fastest to heel the ball into the net after a corner.

Martin Dubravka pulled off a superb save from Mohammed Salisu late as Newcastle maintained their league unbeaten run in 2022 to move to 31 points, 10 ahead of 18th-placed Burnley. Southampton are 10th with 35 points.

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski’s contract expires in the summer of 2023 and speculation is rife over the Polish international’s future. Reports that a Premier League transfer has been announced for the 33-year-old striker have alerted several clubs, including Arsenal, who are desperate to sign a new No.9.

Meanwhile, former England footballer Peter Crouch has delivered his verdict and said he would like to see Lewandowski play in the Premier League. Crouch’s comments came as he discussed Bayern’s failure to tie Lewandowski to a new deal on BT Sport, following the Bundesliga giants’ 7-1 win over RB Salzburg in their last-16 second leg Champions League final on Tuesday.

Lewandowski netted a hat-trick on 23 minutes in the clash at the Allianz Arena to make Champions League history. After converting from the penalty spot twice, in the 12th and 21st minutes, the prolific Poland international then netted a screamer two minutes later to complete a record hat-trick.

Also read: Lewandowski shoots record Champions League hat-trick; Bayern Munich fans hail heroism

Peter Crouch said, in a post-match chat on BT Sport, “It sounds ridiculous. I don’t know what else they (Bayern) want. I know he’s approaching 34, but he still looks like a machine. eats well, he lives decent, he looks fit and the numbers are absolutely ridiculous.”

“Who are you going to go out and sign to get those kind of numbers? I know there’s been talk of (Erling) Haaland if you obviously want longevity, but it’s going to cost you a hell of a lot of money,” Croupton added.

“I would love to see him (Lewandowski) in the Premier League,” admitted the former England international.

“If I’m Bayern, you try to tie it up as quickly as possible,” Crouch concluded.

Lewandowski’s three goals against Salzburg came just a minute earlier than former record holder Marco Simone, who achieved the feat in 24 minutes of AC Milan’s 2-1 loss to Rosenborg in 1996.

Tuesday’s hat-trick was the latest highlight of another jaw-dropping season for the Pole, taking his tally to 42 goals in 35 appearances.

Last updated on Mar 9, 2022 at 11:24 a.m. IST

Tottenham Hotspur have announced that they have frozen the price of subscription renewals for next season.

The North London club hope to be able to host Champions League football in the 2022-23 campaign. Spurs are currently seventh in the Premier League, six points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

Tottenham said in a statement: “It is hard to believe that the end of this season will be the end of our first full season with fans in the stadium since it opened in April 2019.

“We are pleased to confirm that we will soon be opening season ticket renewals for the 2022/23 season. We are freezing prices for the upcoming season, a season that follows two difficult years for all of us. -the, now over, we will also be inviting season ticket holders who have deferred for COVID-related medical reasons to renew their season tickets. Once again, we will also be giving fans the option to move their seats, especially now that we have new seat inventory accordingly to increase capacity to 62,850.

“We thank you for your incredible support throughout the current season – in particular, we appreciate your cooperation and patience with the new processes and COVID measures that have been introduced.

“As we continue to innovate and work to deliver the best possible match experience for our fans, we will be communicating some exciting new features we will be bringing to the stadium next season – watch this space!”

(Photo: Sebastian Frej/MB Media/Getty Images)