The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) released the latest schedule for the Champions League semi-finals, highlighting two compelling pairings: Real Madrid versus Manchester City and Liverpool against Villarreal. The matchups set the stage for a dramatic conclusion to Europe’s premier club competition, with teams from different leagues testing their strength across continental fixtures.
The first leg between Manchester City and Real Madrid is slated for 26 April in Manchester, followed by the return leg on 4 May in Madrid. Each encounter is scheduled to kick off at 22:00 based on Moscow time, reflecting the organizing body’s standard broadcast timing for key European evenings and ensuring consistent viewing windows across the participating markets.
Meanwhile, Liverpool will host Villarreal in their first leg in England on 27 April, with the decisive second leg taking place in Spain on 3 May. Like the other semi-final pairing, both matches begin at 22:00 Moscow time, aligning with UEFA’s preference for prime-time slots that maximize audience engagement on the home continent and beyond.
Looking back to the quarter-finals, Liverpool advanced by defeating Benfica in a game that clearly demonstrated Klopp’s side control and attacking intent, sealing a 3:1 victory in the first leg and later holding for a 3:3 draw in the second. Manchester City faced a tougher path in their quarter-final, where Atletico Madrid delivered a spirited contest, with City securing a slender advantage in the first leg and the second leg ending without further goals. The aggregate result left Atletico exiting the competition without progression, underscoring the tense nature of knockout football at this stage of the tournament.
Real Madrid, on their journey, fell to Chelsea in a dramatic second-leg overtime in London, yet their first-leg performance had already given them a pathway to eliminate the defending champions of the competition. Villarreal’s campaign pulled off a major upset by defeating Bayern Munich in a two-legged tie, with a 1:0 result in the first match and a 1:1 draw in the return, advancing on aggregate and marking one of the tournament’s most notable shocks of the season.
Around the quarter-final conclusion, press and fans speculated about post-match atmosphere as Aymeric Laporte of Manchester City was cited in reports discussing reactions from Madrid’s camp and the broader atmosphere surrounding the semi-final phase, reflecting the heightened scrutiny and intense conversations that accompany Europe’s top knockout rounds.