Napoli manager Rafa Benitez predicts that Liverpool will qualify for the UEFA Champions League at the end of this season instead of Manchester United because Liverpool do not have European competitions to worry about this season.

The former Liverpool manager, who had his fair share of tense moments and arguments against Manchester United over the years, said this in his column in The Independent newspaper tonight:

“I think it will be the season when my old club Liverpool will finish in the top four, and get back to experiencing the great Anfield Champions League nights which were very special to me. I think there will be a changing of places because Liverpool coming fourth will mean Manchester United finishing outside of the Champions League. It is hard to talk confidently about these things in a crazy British season, of course, but Liverpool will have one important advantage when January is over.

“That is time. They don’t have to play in Europe in the months ahead and that is a big advantage when the others are distracted by those commitments. I don’t mean it is not good to be competing and pressing to win in the Premier League and Europe, too. In early 2009 at Liverpool – the middle of March that year – we played United, Real Madrid and Aston Villa in 12 days, won them all, scored 13 goals and conceded one. We found that precious moment when everyone was on fire and wanting to play, play, play – and pushing. We had so much confidence that we could beat anyone at that time.”

Here are tonight’s world soccer news headlines:

Premier League

MLS

Football League

International soccer

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