Liverpool won the Champions League under Benitez in 2005 and were runners-up last year, but they have struggled in England.
Manchester City had to battle back from behind to earn a 1-1 draw against Premier League newcomers Wolverhampton Wanderers who gave the champions a real test at Molineux on Saturday.
France defender William Gallas scored two minutes from time to salvage a 1-1 draw for Arsenal against Dynamo Kiev in their Champions League tie on Wednesday.
Barcelona will meet Manchester United in the Champions League quarter-finals following the draw on Friday while Manchester City face Tottenham Hotspur in an all-Premier League clash.
The Portuguese winger rallied Manchester United to a thrilling 4-2 victory over champions Arsenal in the English Premier League.
Kurt Zouma and Eden Hazard scored the goals the goals in a match that saw Diego Costa play central character.
A late Robert Pires penalty gave the English side a 1-0 win over 10-man FC Thun in the Champions League.
Kevin De Bruyne, Kelechi Iheanacho, Raheem Sterling and Ilkay Gundogan gave Man City a 4-0 win over Bournemouth before Nolito was sent off.
Barcelona beat Benfica 2-0 in the second leg quarter-final, while Arsenal went through on a 2-0 aggregate after their second leg with Juventus ended goalless.
Arsenal must stage one of the most unlikely Champions League comebacks if they are to advance at the expense of hosts Bayern Munich in their round of 16 second leg clash on Wednesday.
Van Nistelrooy has to admit or deny the charges by Tuesday, with the case due to be heard on Thursday.
Round up of the Champions League matches played on Wednesday.
Arsenal delivered a brutal lesson in fast-paced Premier League football to beat Liverpool 4-1 on Saturday, maintaining their faint title aspirations and almost certainly dashing their opponents' hopes of a top-four finish.
Ashley Cole has fanned the flames of his acrimonious departure to Chelsea by accusing Arsenal of betraying him.
Manchester United beat Porto 1-0 while Arsenal trounced Villarreal 3-0 in second leg quarter-final matches in the Champions League to make the grade.
UEFA president Lennart Johansson supports the principle that a club winning the Champions League must be allowed to defend their title.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has told his players to watch out for Napoli's quickfire counter-attacks when the two high-flying sides meet at the Emirates Stadium in Champions League Group F on Tuesday.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic inspired AC Milan to a 4-0 demolition of Arsenal in the Champions League on Wednesday, although the sorry performance of the visitors had as much to do with the scoreline as the volatile Swede's brilliance.
Tottenham Hotspur hammered 10-man Aston Villa 4-0 in the Premier League on Sunday thanks to four second-half goals, allowing them to close the gap with their Birmingham rivals to two points in the chase for Champions League football next season.
Summary of the Europa League semi-final matches played on Thursday.
Dortmund's Ciro Immobile hadn't scored since joining the club this season. But while he was getting restless, the striker was asked by coach Juergen Klopp to be patient and persistent.
Arsenal's Eduardo da Silva, playing two days after his diving ban was lifted on appeal, celebrated his reprieve by scoring a late winner in a dramatic 3-2 Champions League win at Standard Liege on Wednesday. The Brazilian-born Croatia striker netted from close range with nine minutes to go, three minutes after Thomas Vermaelen had levelled for the Londoners.
Liverpool made it three wins out of three as Mohamed Salah scored twice in a convincing 3-1 victory over Arsenal on Saturday to take control at the top of the Premier League.
Manchester United kept their treble dreams alive by knocking Arsenal out of the FA Cup five days after the London side's Champions League exit thanks to a deserved 2-0 quarter-final win at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Joseph was one of our top three targets, says RCB Director of Cricket Mo Bobat
A review of the weekend action in the leading European leagues.
Images from the EPL matches played on Sunday
Arsenal swapped places with champions Manchester United at the top of the Premier League on Saturday after a 3-1 victory at Manchester City preceded United's 1-1 draw away at Tottenham Hotspur.
The English Premier League resumed on Wednesday, after the forced break due to COVID-19. Here are IMAGES from the EPL matches played on Wednesday.
Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are all preparing for sudden-death Champions League games.
Seven-times champions AC Milan, knocked out of the Champions League by Barcelona in the last two seasons, were drawn against the Catalans again in the group stage of this season's competition on Friday.
News of all that's transpired on and off the football field
