Football fans can continue to catch up for lost time with the return of the Champions League in August, as Europe’s premier club competition takes centre stage once again as a winner will be determined for the 2020/21 campaign.
Different Format Than Traditionally Used
Due to the nature of the current global pandemic, the football tournament will follow a slightly altered format compared to the usual system that has been in operation for the past couple of decades or so.
Each fixture from the quarter-final stages of the Champions League and onwards will be determined in a single knock-out encounter rather than the traditional two-legged affairs that teams will usually compete across.
Where And When Are Matches Going To Be Held?
Furthermore, the football clubs will compete at a neutral venue, with games being held at two of Portugal’s top stadiums behind closed doors. The Estádio José Alvalade (which is home to Sporting Clube de Portugal) and the Estádio da Luz (which is home to Sport Lisboa e Benfica) will both be used, with the latter being used for the final. Matches that are still to be completed at the Round of 16 stages of the Champions League, though, will be completed at the home side’s stadium.
Those Round of 16 matches will be completed on the 7th and 8th August respectively, with four matches still needing to be completed. Those fixtures are Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Juventus FC vs Olympique de Lyonnais, Bayern Munich vs Chelsea and FC Barcelona vs SSC Napoli.
Champions League Quarter-finals
Once those contests have been completed, the quarter-finals of the UCL will take place across four days with one match taking place on each date between the 12th and 15th August.
Fixtures to be held in the quarter-finals already include Atalanta BC vs Paris Saint-Germain, as the Italian football team have surprised many with their ability to reach this stage of the Champions League. The other confirmed Last 8 match of the tournament is between Red Bull Leipzig vs Atlético Madrid. This tie could go either way with both sides possessing extremely talented football squads, although the Spaniards may be favoured as they knocked holders Liverpool out in the previous round.
Bayern Munich could face either FC Barcelona or SSC Napoli as Chelsea have their work cut out, whilst Manchester City could be facing either Juventus FC or Olympique de Lyonnais as Real Madrid also have work to do to overturn a first-leg deficit.
Champions League Semi-finals And Final
The semi-finals will then follow on the 18th and 19th August, with the final taking place on the 23rd August at the Estádio da Luz.
One semi-final of the UCL will involve two of Bayern Munich, Chelsea FC, FC Barcelona, SSC Napoli, Real Madrid, Juventus FC, Olympique de Lyonnais and Manchester City, whilst the other semi-final of the Champions League will be between RB Leipzig, Atlético Madrid, PSG and Atalanta BC.
Therefore, once the 2020 final of the Champions League is played on the 23rd August, fans could be treated to a final between Bayern Munich vs PSG. If you agree with our prediction you might want to take a look at our odds of EagleBet Sportsbook.
Top Players Still Involved In The UCL
With a number of top-quality teams still involved, fans can expect to see some of the world’s best players taking to the field as they look to try and bring the title to their club. Men such as Lionel Messi, Robert Lewandowski, Kylian Mbappé and Kevin De Bruyne. are just a select few that will all be involved.
