Spain against England in the semifinals of the Champions League

english football vs spanish football, Manchester City v Real Madrid on Tuesday, and Liverpool v Villarreal Wednesday: two Spanish-English clashes in Champions League semi-finals to lead the way to the Champions League final in Paris.

Champions in eight of the last ten editions of the Champions League, Spain and England reconfirm their hegemony in European footballas reflected in the UEFA index of the best championships on the continent.

Although there is a surprise guest, Villarreal, modest club of a locality of 50,000 inhabitants of the Valencian Community (east) that already eliminated Juventus in Turin in the round of 16 (1-1, 3-0), and then at Bayern Munich in quarters (1-0, 1-1), reaching the prelude to the final for the second time in its history after 2006.

So that, a 100% Spanish final is not ruled outlike the ones in 2014 and 2016 (Real Madrid-Atlético), nor an English final, like in 2021 (Chelsea-City) or 2019 (Liverpool-Tottenham).

“I want to congratulate Villarreal, because has given a strong blow and congratulate Unai (Emery), because I think few thought that Spanish football would send two teams to the semifinals of the Champions League,” he stressed. Carlo Ancelotti, manager of Real Madrid.

LaLiga has lost a bit of its prestige as a result of the deep crisis that is shaking FC Barcelona, ​​and the departure of several planetary stars, such as Neymar in 2017, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018 and Lionel Messi in 2021.

But Real Madrid continues to hold the record for titles in the competition He reigns at the European level (13) and dreams of a new final four years after his last victory.

But for it Ancelotti’s team will have to eliminate Manchester City, finalist in 2021who aspires to win his first Champions League, an obsession of his extremely wealthy owners from the United Arab Emirates.

“We are going to face the kings of this competition, so no matter what happens, we are going to suffer”, recognized City coach Pep Guardiolafor many years ‘black beast’ of Real Madrid when he trained FC Barcelona (2008-2012).

The City is based on an elaborate and combinative gamewith talented players like Riyad Mahrez, Kevin De Bruyne, Phil Foden or Bernardo Silva.

But real Madridwho wants to play a final in Paris again, like the one he won in 2000 against Valencia (3-0), has his greatest experience in these matters and with his center forward Karim Benzema in a state of grace.

Benzema, for the Ballon d’Or

author of seven goals in his last three Champions League gamesdecisive in eliminating Paris SG and Chelsea, the Frenchman is closer than ever to the Ballon d’Or.

But the Egyptian Mohamed Salah or the Senegalese Sadio Mané, from Liverpool, also aspire to the award of the best player of the season: the two strikers aspire to lead the Reds to a new Champions League, like in 2019, which would be their seventh ‘Orejona’.

Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp does not trust Villarreal, howeverwhich has a highly compensated squad in the absence of established stars.

your counterpart Unai Emery won the Europa League four times (three with Sevilla and one with the Yellow Submarine) and knows like few others how to manage two-legged duels at European level.

“Whoever eliminated Juve and then Bayern deserves to be in the semi-finals”Klopp said. “They are very good and have a very experienced coach, what Unai does is incredible.”

Spanish, English, or both? The Stade de France awaits its guests for the final on May 28. (D)