Man City must overcome fresh Liverpool advantage during tense Premier League run-in

Manchester City and Liverpool are locked in a tense race for the Premier League title, but both could also end up going head-to-head on the continental stage.

Both sides took steps towards reaching the Champions League final this week by beating Spanish clubs in the first legs of their respective semi-finals. City overcame Real Madrid 4-3 in what will go down as an all-time Champions League classic, but will head to Madrid next week knowing that really they should have already put the outcome of the tie beyond doubt.

Pep Guardiola's side spurned a host of opportunities and were pegged back three times by a resilient Madrid. Liverpool on the other hand cruised to a 2-0 win over Villarreal at Anfield, the Spanish side unable to live with the hosts' counter-press and rarely troubling Jurgen Klopp's men. They will travel to Spain next week heavy favourites to finish the job and book a spot in the final.

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On paper, both will make tiring trips to Spain before returning home for league matches a few days later, but as was the case in the quarter-finals, Liverpool have stolen a potentially key advantage over City. City were at their attacking best against Madrid on Tuesday, but defensive mistakes and individual moments of genius from Karim Benzema and Vinicius Junior allowed Carlo Ancelotti's side to turn the game into a breathless basketball match.

That will have been hugely draining for City, and with the tie very much still in the balance, Guardiola will likely have to rest a few players for the tricky trip to Leeds on Saturday. By contrast, Liverpool never had to hit top gear to see off Villarreal, who, while defending resolutely in the