Now that the 20 domestic football seasons are fully complete for the biggest leagues, it’s time to turn our attention to Europe’s most prestigious competition, the UEFA Champions League.
If you feel like you can’t really remember where the tournament got to then rest assured that you aren’t the only one. The competition was officially postponed on 23rd March 2020, and now it will return some 3-4 months after one half of the last round of 16 was played.
A quick recap:
The competition was suspended just after the second leg had been played of the four round of 16 matches. To make the games as accessible to the TV audience as possible (and thus to maximise revenue), each bracket is split into different weeks and kick-off times.
You may therefore recall that the two last games played were PSG vs Borussia Dortmund, and Liverpool vs Atletico Madrid, and however the other 8 teams didn’t get round to finishing their ties including three mouthwatering clashes which are listed below.
Many public health officials questioned the decision to even play half of the last round of 16 fixtures with Liverpool and Atletico Madrid playing in front of a packed Anfield stadium. This article and analysis by the Liverpool Echo unfortunately doesn’t make great reading but fortunately the curve has been flattened and the first wave largely under control. Or at least manageable enough for now that some sporting events can resume.
Who is the favourite?
If you fancy taking a punt then don’t forget you can get the bet365 bonus for new customers. Either way enjoy the football and if you do bet, please remember to gamble responsibly!
The two favourites according to most bookmakers right now are Manchester City and Bayern Munich. Manchester City may have an away goal but they are up against a formidable opponent in Real Madrid who you can never write off under Zinedine Zidane and his haul of Champions League medals.
As for Bayern, they have a 3-0 advantage against Chelsea so are all but in the quarter finals where they may face a stiffer challenge against either Napoli or Barcelona.
In terms of smart money, a few people suggest PSG could be decent outsiders given the fact the French League 1 finished prematurely and thus the players should be well rested, but you would be mad to bet against Atalanta who are playing some of the most scintillating football in Europe.
Path to the Final
The champions of Europe will be crowned in less than 3 weeks time which is going to make for an exciting and fast-paced tournament which will hopefully give football fans the fix they are looking for with the postponement of the European International tournament suspended until the following year (2021).
Last 16:
So these are the remaining fixtures left to play including aggregate scores:
Friday 7th August
- Juventus vs Lyon (0-1)
- Man City vs Real Madrid (2-1)
Saturday 8th August
- Bayern Munich vs Chelsea (3-0)
- Barcelona vs Napoli (1-1)
Quarter Finals
All games will be single tie fixtures in order to save time and will take place in Portugal at either Sporting Lisbon’s Stadium or Benfica’s ground.
Confirmed:
- RB Leipzig vs Atletico Madrid – Wednesday 12th August
- Atalanta vs Paris Saint German – Thursday 13th August
To be decided:
- Real Madrid or Man City vs Lyon or Juventus – Friday 14th August
- Napoli or Barcelona vs Chelsea or Bayern – Saturday 15th August
Semi Finals
- (Real Madrid vs Man City, Lyon vs Juventus) VS (Napoli vs Barcelona, Chelsea vs Bayern Munich) – Tuesday 18th August
- RB Leipzig or Atletico Madrid or Atalanta or Paris Saint-Germain – Wednesday 19th August
Final
The final will be played at Estádio da Luz in Portugal which is Benfica’s home stadium on Sunday 23rd of August.