LEEDS: Newcastle United remain the guardians of their own Champions League destiny — but only just. The Magpies played out an entertaining, if at times bruising and scrappy, 2-2 draw at Leeds United’s Elland Road, as they missed the opportunity to open up a six-point gap to fifth-placed Liverpool, who will surely smell blood now given the chance to close that to one by Monday night.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds take on relegation-threatened Leicester City that evening. With three games to go, the next two of which are on home turf, Eddie Howe’s men still remain in the driving seat when it comes to a top four finish, with Manchester United also less than certain to get in.
But they still, as things stand, need six points from nine to make sure it is Champions League football and not Thursday nights in the Europa League to look forward to next season.
Howe made a bold call from the off in Yorkshire as he kept with the two forward experiment, retaining Alexander Isak on the left with Callum Wilson through the middle.