Cristiano Ronaldo will be heading back to the north-west after Manchester City were drawn against Real Madrid in the semi-finals of the Champions League.
While City avoided a clash with Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich, they could be up against their manager-in-waiting in the final if they can overcome the Spanish giants.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Both City and Real will feel as though they have got "the best possible draw", says the Daily Telegraph. Los Merengues would have been pleased to avoid their neighbours, Atletico Madrid, who knocked out Barcelona, while Guardiola has a track record against them.
City will also be pleased to have avoided Atleti, who are the form team in the competition.
But the tie will still be a blockbuster, says the Daily Mail. "Ronaldo and fellow former Premier League star Gareth Bale will return to England what is likely to be a sensational two-legged affair," it claims.
However, the prospect of playing the second leg in Spain could put the Premier League team at a disadvantage.
In the Europa League, Liverpool will play the second leg of their tie with Villarreal at Anfield, after overcoming Borussia Dortmund in a thriller.
They will also be happy with their draw, avoiding the title-holders, Sevilla, and a gruelling trip to Ukraine to face Shakhtar Donetsk.
Liverpool have never met Villarreal in European competition, although the two clubs have a connection as the Spanish side take their nickname, the Yellow Submarine, from a Beatles' song.
It will still be a tough test for Jurgen Klopp's team, notes The Guardian: "Villarreal are fourth in La Liga and were emphatic conquerors of Sparta Prague in the quarter-finals. They knocked out Napoli and Bayer Leverkusen in the earlier rounds and have beaten Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid this season."
There is an added incentive for both clubs to do well in Europe, says the Telegraph, which notes that if they both win their competitions, Manchester United may be denied a place in the Champions League next season as only the Premier League's top three.
Champions League semi finals:
Manchester City vs Real Madrid
Atletico Madrid vs Bayern Munich
Europa League:
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Sevilla
Villarreal vs Liverpool
-
How China is battling the chikungunya virusUnder The Radar Thousands of cases of the debilitating disease have been found in the country
-
Deep thoughts: AI shows its math chopsFeature Google's Gemini is the first AI system to win gold at the International Mathematical Olympiad
-
Book reviews: 'Face With Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji' and 'Blood Harmony: The Everly Brothers Story'Feature The surprising history of emojis and the brother duo who changed pop music
-
Liverpool's Anfield redemption: how did they do it?Talking Point Arne Slot's blueprint and standout player performances guide the Reds to record 20th league title
-
The 'Swiss model' shaking up the Champions LeagueIn the Spotlight Uefa says the new format offers 'greater excitement' but critics say boredom is guaranteed
-
The wit and wisdom of Sven-Göran ErikssonIn Depth The first foreign coach to manage England on football, life and death
-
The Premier League's spending cap: levelling the playing field?Talking Point Top clubs oppose plans to link spending to income of lowest-earning club, but rule could prevent success gap from widening
-
The European Super League: a 90th-minute reprieve?In the Spotlight A European court ruling has potentially breathed new life into the breakaway football league
-
2023-2024 Premier League predictions: champions, relegation and golden bootfeature A look at the top flight talking points and pundit picks for the new season
-
‘Genuine visionary’: is Pep Guardiola the greatest of all time?feature Spaniard has now won two trebles following Man City’s Champions League triumph
-
Champions League final: Man City vs. Inter predictions and previewfeature Can Guardiola’s team finally win the Champions League and complete a historic treble?
