How Man United, City Playing in FA Cup Final Could Help Aston Villa Play in Europa

• Manchester United and Man City are scheduled to face off in this season's FA Cup final at Wembley Stadium
• United earned a crunch date with City after they stunned Brighton in the semis following an epic penalty shootout
• The two teams' participation in the FA Cup final is expected to have an impact on UEFA qualification spots

Manchester United and rivals Manchester City playing each other in this season's FA Cup final is expected to have a significant effect on the UEFA qualification spots.

United and City set up a crunch date after they won their semi-final fixtures against Brighton and Sheffield United, respectively.

City, who are chasing a treble this season, hammered their semi-final opponents 3-0 on Saturday to book a place in the final.

United, meanwhile, earned a spot in the final after they stunned Brighton 6-7 on penalties in an epic last-four clash played on Sunday.

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The tie had to be decided in the shootouts after it ended in a goalless draw during normal regulation time.

Solly March was the villain for the Seagulls as he blazed his spot-kick over the bar before Victor Lindelof stepped up to convert the winner.

How United, City clash affects UEFA spots

Whereas the FA Cup is one of the most-followed competitions in English football, it is also one of the other alternative routes to playing in Europe.

Therefore, Man United and City squaring off in the final when they are already in the top four in the Premier League has created a bit of confusion.

What should fans expect in such a scenario?

The Mirror reports the FA Cup does not have any implication on qualification for the Champions League.

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That means that whoever will finish in the top four at the end of the season will automatically qualify for the elite continental competition.

Europa League will be affected

However, second-tier European competition Europa League will be affected in a way.

Traditionally, whoever won the FA Cup automatically earned a ticket for the tournament's group stages.

However, with both City and United on course to take part in the Champions League, a team that finishes outside the Europa League spots will be handed a ticket.

According to Premier League rules, if the FA Cup winners finish in the top five of the Premier League like it is the case as things stand, their Europa League group stage ticket will go to the next-highest ranked team not qualified for UEFA competitions.

Currently, Tottenham, who are the fifth-placed team in the Premier League, will qualify for the group stage of the Europa League automatically.

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And if things stay this way, Aston Villa, who are placed sixth at the moment, would qualify for the Europa League.

Buccaneers advertised during FA Cup

Sports Brief also reported that beyond Manchester City booking their place in the FA Cup final against Man United, South African football fans noticed something interesting.

On advertising boards surrounding the pitch at Wembley Stadium, the Orlando Pirates insignia appeared at regular intervals, followed by sportswear giant, Adidas' branding.

The Citizens swept to a comfortable 3-0 win against Sheffield United on Saturday afternoon to reach the final, courtesy of a Riyad Mahrez hat-trick on Saturday afternoon.