Liverpool FC and Manchester City have won mandatory wins in the English Premier League just under a week before the top game. Liverpool and coach Jürgen Klopp defeated Watford FC 2-0 (1-0) on Saturday and won their tenth league win in a row. Pep Guardiola’s Citizens won 2-0 (2-0) at Burnley FC and remain one point ahead of the Reds in the table with 73 points. Next Sunday (5.30 p.m.) there will be a cracker in the fight for the English football championship in Manchester.
Ahead of Tuesday’s quarter-final first leg in the Champions League at Benfica Lisbon, Portugal’s Diogo Jota headed Liverpool after 22 minutes from a pass by Joe Gomez to give them a deserved 1-0 lead. The international missed another goal before the break. Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster cleared brilliantly in front of the free-standing offensive player.
After the change of sides, the Reds were still clearly superior, but only decided the game shortly before the end. After a duel in the Watford penalty area between Juraj Kucka and Jota, referee Stuart Attwell awarded a penalty after the intervention of the video assistant. Fabinho converted safely to make it 2-0 (89′). “We can play better football but we just have to do our things,” said Klopp after the win.
Man City had no problems at Burnley FC. Kevin De Bruyne (5th) and international Ilkay Gündogan (25th) scored the City goals and showed themselves to be in excellent shape before the performance in the premier class on Tuesday against Atlético Madrid.
Chelsea are defeated by Brentford before the clash with Real
Third-placed Chelsea FC (59 points) and coach Thomas Tuchel failed 4-1 (0-0) against Brentford FC and were not in good shape before the Champions League hit against Real Madrid on Wednesday. Antonio Rüdiger scored for the Blues to make it 1-0 (48th). Then Hamburg-born Vitaly Janelt (50′) and Christian Eriksen (54′), who scored again after scoring two goals for Denmark last week, turned the game around. Again Janelt (61st) and Yoane Wissa (87th) made the away win perfect.
Without Cristiano Ronaldo, Manchester United only managed a happy 1-1 (0-0) against Leicester City and threatens to miss the Champions League. Ralf Rangnick’s team remains in sixth place with 51 points, three points behind Arsenal in fourth place. The Gunners have played two games fewer.