The rest of the 2019-2020 UEFA Champions League tournament will continue and conclude in two empty Lisbon, Port., stadiums in August. UEFA is planning to have the final take place on Aug. 23 at Estádio da Luz.
When the tournament was postponed indefinitely back in March due to COVID-19, the knockout stage was taking place. At the moment, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Atalanta, and Atlético Madrid have booked their spot in the final eight. The four remaining Round of 16 matches include Real Madrid vs. Manchester City, Bayern Munich vs. Chelsea, Napoli vs. Barcelona, and Lyon vs. Juventus. A date is to be determined later this week. The quarterfinals are set to occur from Aug. 12-15.
Once the Round of 16 concludes and the bracket is down to eight clubs, the rest of the tournament will be played under a different format. The quarterfinals and semifinals will not have the usual two-leg game system. Instead, it’ll just be one game. So once the Round of 16 ends, the 2019-20 Champions League becomes an eight-club knockout competition.
Who are the favorites to hoist the trophy?
Atlético Madrid has to be the odds-on favorite since they eliminated Liverpool, the defending champions. Atlético is looking to reach the final for the first time since 2016 and win the title for the first time ever.
Paris Saint-Germain is also a respectable favorite. They’re loaded with talent, but it’s their mentality that questions whether or not they can get the job done and whether or not they can handle playing under immense pressure. In the past, PSG hasn’t done well under pressure.
Juventus and Barcelona have potential, but they’ve suffered elimination in heartbreaking fashion in recent years. These two clubs are only hoping that fate doesn’t repeat itself once again. Bayern Munich and Manchester City haven’t had much luck, either. Juventus and Barcelona are both in a must-win situation while Bayern Munich, who won their first Round of 16 match, just need to win their second leg comfortably and eliminate Chelsea from the tournament.
As far as Real Madrid goes, they haven’t been the same since the departure of Cristiano Ronaldo. The pressure has intensified since they lost their first-leg Round of 16 match at home against Manchester City. They’re going to need to pull off a miracle to secure a spot in the final eight.
