All you need to know to resume the Champions League and the Europa League
March 11 was the last time a Champions League ball was kicked, the night the Liverpool holders were defeated by Atletico Madrid, but after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the continent, the European football is back.
The continent’s two club competitions will be played using new formats in Portugal and Germany, five months after the coronavirus disrupted the European season.
Late arrivals will give players little chance to catch their breath as the final matches of the 2019/20 season quickly flow into the opening matches of 2020/21.
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After a 149-day wait, the Champions League returned on Friday as Manchester City completed work against Real Madrid while Juventus ran short against Lyon. Sky Sports gives you everything you need to know before the Champions League restart, as well as the progress in the Europa League.
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
Who will lift the Champions League trophy on 23 August?
What is the program?
Manchester City On Friday they beat Real Madrid 2-1 at Etihad Stadium in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16, rising 4-2 overall, after UEFA announced that the games will be played in the home teams’ stadiums.
The governing body has also given the green light ChelseaThe second leg with Bayern Munich will take place at the German champions’ Allianz Arena, with Frank Lampard’s side at a disadvantage following a 3-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge in February.
All games start at 20:00 Italian time
Last 16 matches remaining
Friday 7 August
Juventus 2-1 Lyon (tot 2-2) – Lyon qualified for away goals
Manchester City 2-1 Real Madrid (4-2 aggregate)
Saturday 8 August
Barcelona vs Napoli (adj 1-1)
Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea (tot 3-0)
What happens next?
The Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul was to host the final
The 2019/20 Champions League final was to be held at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, Turkey on 30 May.
However, the Covid-19 epidemic caused it to be postponed. The format of the final stages of the competition has been changed with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final now taking place in Lisbon, Portugal.
The remaining matches are one-legged matches played in Lisbon at Benfica’s Estadio da Luz or Sporting Lisbon’s Estadio Jose Alvalade.
Quarter finals
Wednesday 12 August – quarter-finals 1
Atalanta vs Paris Saint-Germain (Estadio da Luz)
Thursday 13 August – quarter-finals 2
RB Leipzig vs Atletico Madrid (Estadio Jose Alvalade)
Friday 14 August – quarter-finals 3
Naples or Barcelona vs. Chelsea o Bayern Munich (Estadio da Luz)
Saturday 15 August – quarter-finals 4
Manchester City v Lyon (Estadio Jose Alvalade)
Semifinals
Tuesday 18th August – semifinal 1
QF2 Winners vs QF1 Winners (Estadio da Luz)
Wednesday 19 August – semifinal 2
QF4 Winners vs QF3 Winners (Estadio Jose Alvalade)
The final
Sunday 23 August
SF1 Winners vs SF2 Winners (Estadio da Luz)
EUROPA LEAGUE
Wolves would secure a place in the Champions League if they win the Europa League
What is the program?
The remaining second leg of the Europa League round of 16 will take place on August 6, with Sevilla vs Roma reduced to a single knockout match as their first legs have also been postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Manchester United will play Copenhagen in the Europa League quarter-finals on Monday 10 August after beating LASK 2-1 at Old Trafford on Wednesday (7-1 in total).
wolves will face Sevilla after beating Olympiakos in their last 16 matches.
What happens next?
The Stadion Energa Gdansk in Poland was originally slated to host the final
The 2019/20 Europa League final is expected to be staged in Gdansk, Poland on 27 May.
However, the Covid-19 outbreak caused the postponement and the final will take place in Cologne on 21 August. The format of the final stages of the competition has been changed with the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final all now set. to be held in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
They should Man Utd is wolves both progressed to the semifinals, they would face each other on August 16 at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne for a place in the final.
All matches start at 20:00 and are one-leg matches played at Cologne’s RheinEnergieStadion, Schalke’s Veltins Arena, Fortuna Düsseldorf’s Merkur Spiel-Arena and MSV Duisburg’s Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena.
Manchester United are in a leading position in the round of 16 with LASK
Quarter finals
Monday 10 August – quarter-finals 1/2
Man Utd v Copenhagen (RheinEnergieStadion)
Inter vs Bayer Leverkusen (Merkur Spiel-Arena)
Tuesday 11 August – quarter-finals 3/4
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Basel (Veltins Arena)
wolves vs Sevilla (Schauinsland-Reisen-Arena)
The Europa League final will be played at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne
Semifinals
Sunday 16th August – semifinal 1
QF4 Winners vs QF1 Winners (RheinEnergieStadion)
Monday 17th August – semifinal 2
QF2 Winners vs QF3 Winners (Merkur Spiel-Arena)
The final
Friday August 21
SF1 Winners vs SF2 Winners (RheinEnergieStadion)
What will change?
Paris Saint-Germain prepares for the restart with a series of friendlies
When the Champions League and Europa League return, the remaining teams will resume after a very different set of preparations.
For the Italian teams, it is the last stretch of a busy schedule that included two games a week since June. The French league came to a halt in March, leaving Paris Saint-Germain to plan friendly matches before two national cup finals.
When PSG face Atalanta, those contrasts will be put to the test again, after Lyon’s qualification against Juventus.
Bayer Leverkusen tried to balance rest and training ahead of the Europa League game against Rangers on 6 August, five months after the German side had won the first leg 3-1.
Leverkusen gave the players a 17-day break to clear their minds after their German Cup final defeat to Bayern Munich on 4 July before returning to training.
Can new signings play?
Kai Havertz scored for Bayer Leverkusen against Rangers in the first leg
The Champions League and Europa League squads will look different from the teams that played in March. Key players may have remained, but new purchases cannot be added to the roster.
This means no Leroy Sane for Bayern in the Champions League after signing from Manchester City.
Chelsea newcomer Timo Werner was influential in Leipzig by beating Tottenham 4-0 overall in the spring, but he will be a keen observer of his new side’s comeback against Bayern Munich.
Likewise, potential purchases may experience delays due to their participation in the contest. Kai Havertz has been strongly linked to the move to Chelsea, but Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller has confirmed that the midfielder will complete the Europa League campaign with his current club prior to any potential transfer.
How will the condensed format impact next season?
04:44 Jose Mourinho says he’s happy Tottenham moved up from 14th in the league when he became manager to finish sixth with a Europa League place
Teams not participating in European competitions this month could have an advantage in the domestic leagues next season.
Tottenham finished sixth in the Premier League by scoring a spot in the second qualifying round of the Europa League, and Jose Mourinho is hoping his side can take advantage of the free month of August to fully charge next season.
In Germany, while Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Leverkusen play, other clubs can rest. Borussia Dortmund and Werder Bremen will only resume training on Monday.
The same could apply to Manchester City, Chelsea, Wolves and Manchester United, and the Premier League announced last month that the quartet would have extra time and will start next season late, should they enter the latter stages of their respective European competitions. . .
Fatigue could follow players and clubs throughout the 2020/21 season, which will be more congested than usual.
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