Premier League give Champions League duo extra day to prepare

Liverpool's clash with Newcastle was due to be played on Sunday whilst Spurs were slated to play Bournemouth on Monday

LONDON: Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur will have an extra day to prepare for their Champions League semi-finals second leg matches after the Premier League on Saturday brought forward their respective fixtures.

Liverpool — who host Barcelona on May 7 — will face Newcastle on Saturday, May 4 with Spurs — whose second leg with Ajax is on May 8 — playing Bournemouth on the same day.

Liverpool's clash with Newcastle — managed by Rafael Benitez who was in charge when they won the Champions League in 2005 — was due to be played on the Sunday whilst Spurs were slated to play Bournemouth on Monday, May 6.

Manchester City — who are locked in a titanic duel with Liverpool for the title — have had their home fixture with Leicester moved to Monday, May 6, after they were sensationally eliminated from the Champions League by Spurs on Wednesday.

The Premier League's move is less dramatic than their Dutch counterparts who cancelled the league programme on the weekend before Ajax play Spurs in their first leg match on April 30.

Chelsea and Arsenal's matches have also been moved back a day ahead of their Europa League semi-final second leg clashes with German outfit Eintracht Frankfurt and Spanish side Valencia respectively.

Chelsea will host FA Cup finalists Watford with Arsenal also at home against struggling Brighton on May 5.