Champions League returns with new format

The year 2020 for football fans would be unforgettable due to the delays and cancellations of leagues and competitions across the world.

UEFA champions league was not left out of the affected tourney due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic that has affected every aspect of life.

Now that the competition is back, it comes with some new changes that might affect the outcome of the remaining fixtures. One of which is the single game elimination format that would be embraced from the quarterfinal stage of the competition.

However, on Friday, 31 July 2020, the draws for the remaining fixtures were held in Nyon, Switzerland. It’s no longer news that the finals would take place in Lisbon, Portugal. The match-ups would for one be played behind closed doors without the fans, as it’s been in recent times due to the pandemic.

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The matches are to be played from 12-16 August  2020. The fixtures are Real Madrid/Manchester City vs Juventus/Lyon, RB Leipzig vs Atletico Madrid, Napoli/Barcelona vs Chelsea/Bayern Munich and Atalanta vs Paris Saint-Germain.

For the fixtures put on hold in the round of 16, they would be played at the respective stadiums of the home teams on 7-8 August 2020 with Bayern Munich vs Chelsea, Barcelona vs Napoli, Manchester City vs Real Madrid and Juventus vs Lyon.

These are promising and interesting fixtures for football fans to look forward to.

Most of the leagues that were not cancelled in Europe have been concluded and champions have emerged. Also, those who have prospectively qualified for the UEFA champions league are now known. The champions league would resume from 7 August 2020 and top flight teams are set to show their skills and talent on the pitch of play to fans who would be eagerly watching from home.

Yemi Babalola