Remember the Champions League? Well it’s back in August, with a quickfire knockout tournament set to decide the 2020 winners in Portugal.
Reigning champions Liverpool only have one more month to pose with the trophy, as it will be heading elsewhere come August 23.
After the coronavirus pandemic brought a halt to the football calendar, the Champions League is returning in Lisbon, while there are some last-16 ties to be settled as well.
The quarters and semis will be one-legged affairs, given they are taking place at a neutral venue, while the remaining last-16 second leg games are scheduled to honour the home-away format.
Champions League refresher
Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, RB Leipzig and Paris Saint-Germain have already booked their quarter-final places, and handily the quartet are in the same half of the draw, meaning their respective routes to the final are easier to decipher.
Meanwhile… the other half has some mammoth quarter-finals in store, but first last-16 matches must be settled. Juventus trail Lyon and will look to overhaul a 1-0 deficit to take on either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the last eight – that tie has City leading 2-1.
Barcelona host Napoli with the tie finely poised at 1-1 – awaiting the victor will likely be favourites Bayern Munich, who hold a 3-0 lead over Chelsea.
Champions League fixtures in August
Round of 16
- Friday 7 August – Juventus vs Lyon (0-1), Juventus Stadium; Manchester City vs Real Madrid (2-1), Etihad Stadium
- Saturday 8 August – Bayern vs Chelsea (3-0), Allianz Arena; Barcelona vs Napoli (1-1), Nou Camp
Quarter-finals
- Wednesday 12 August – Atalanta vs Paris Saint-Germain, Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
- Thursday 13 August – Leipzig vs Atletico, Estadio Jose Alvalade
- Friday 14 August – Napoli / Barcelona vs Chelsea / Bayern Munich, Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
- Saturday 15 August – Real Madrid / Manchester City vs Lyon / Juventus, Estadio Jose Alvalade
Semi-finals
- Tuesday 18 August – Leipzig / Atletico vs Atalanta / Paris Saint-Germain, Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
- Wednesday 19 August – Real Madrid / Manchester City / Lyon / Juventus vs Napoli /
Barcelona / Chelsea / Bayern Munich, Estadio Jose Alvalade
Champions League final
- Sunday 23 August – Champions League final, Estadio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica
