Bengaluru, April 26: The UEFA Champions League has reached its business end with two clubs each from Spain and England set to battle it in the semifinals of the biggest club competition in Europe.

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13-time former champions Real Madrid will take on one-time finalist Manchester City in the first leg semifinal while six-time winners Liverpool will host surprise semifinalists Villarreal in the other last-four encounter.

The elimination of heavyweights like Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, and Bayern Munich from the Champions League quarterfinals has been a shock for football fans around the world and has got them asking for more edge-of-the-seat drama.

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Hence, the fans would be expecting surprises in the semifinals. The business end of the Champions League will witness two heavyweights Manchester City and Real Madrid going head-to-head and the underdogs Villarreal taking on the mighty Liverpool.

In the nail-biting quarterfinals Real Madrid beat Chelsea in a thrilling 5-4 victory, and Manchester City emerging victorious against Atletico Madrid in 1-0 win and booking their seats for the first semifinal match.

The second semi-final includes a surprise entry of the 'Yellow Submarine' who eliminated Bayern rewarding them a seat in the semifinals, whereas Liverpool had an entertaining 10-goal tie against Benfica, which ended in 6-4 in Liverpool's favor.

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It will be fascinating to watch who wins, and will it be an all-English or all-Spanish final?

Only time will tell. Here is a sneak preview of both the semifinals.

Manchester City vs Real Madrid

Losing finalists last season, City are eager to make amends, but the 13-time European champions are a huge obstacle. These sides met in the semifinals in 2015-16, drawing 0-0 in Manchester before Fernando's own goal at the Santiago Bernabeu took Real Madrid to the final, where they beat Atletico Madrid on penalties. Pep Guardiola's side avenged that defeat in 2019-20, beating the Merengues 2-1 away and then at home in the round-of-16, but the stakes are high this time.

Liverpool vs Villarreal

With Manchester City taking on Real Madrid in the other fixture, the 2021-22 Champions League semifinals are both England vs Spain affairs, and Liverpool boss Jürgen Klopp has history on his side against Villarreal.

The German coach was in charge when the sides met in the 2015-16 Europa League semifinals, a 3-0 second-leg win at Anfield taking the Reds to the final following a 0-1 defeat in Villarreal.

Though Villarreal stunned favourities Juventus and Bayern on their way to the semifinals, fans and aficionados expect Liverpool to reach a third Champions League final in five seasons.

Where to watch Champions League

The football fans can get ready to watch the clash of Europe's finest four teams as they compete for a spot in the finale with Sony Sports Network, who have the official broadcasting rights of Champions League in India.

April 27, Wednesday, 12.30 am IST

Manchester City vs Real Madrid LIVE on SONY TEN 2 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) & SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels.

April 28, Thursday, 12.30am IST

Liverpool vs Villarreal LIVE on SONY TEN 2 (English), SONY TEN 3 (Hindi) & SONY TEN 4 (Tamil & Telugu) channels.

(Source: Sony Sports Network/UEFA Media)