Spanish challenge stands in way of Man City-Liverpool final showdown

Real Madrid’s Austrian defender David Alaba (C) celebrates with Real Madrid’s Spanish defender Nacho Fernandez (L) after scoring his team’s first goal during the Spanish League football match between CA Osasuna and Real Madrid CF at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona on April 20, 2022. (Photo by ANDER GILLENEA / AFP)

Real Madrid and Villarreal stand in the way of Manchester City and Liverpool taking their battle for domestic honours to the biggest stage of all next month in the Champions League final.

A clash between City and Liverpool in Paris on May 28 would mean a third all-English final in four years.

The huge economic advantage enjoyed by the Premier League in TV rights deals is behind Madrid’s continued motivation to seek the comfort of guaranteed income streams from a European Super League (ESL).

However, Villarreal’s run to the last four is a reminder of why there is such opposition to a closed shop ESL.

The Yellow Submarine, with just one major trophy in their history, would have been shut out of competing on the European stage had the Super League 12, which also included City and Liverpool, succeeded in forming a breakaway league last year.

Now the team from a town with a population that would fit inside Anfield are 180 minutes away from the biggest game in club football if they can derail Liverpool’s quest for a quadruple.

Jurgen Klopp’s men trail City by a point with five games to go in a thrilling Premier League title race.

But they got the better of City to reach next month’s FA Cup final and lifted the League Cup in February.

Klopp already has experience of losing out to Villarreal boss Unai Emery on the European stage as his Sevilla side beat Liverpool in the 2016 Europa League final.

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