While Liverpool FC sees their chances of defending their Premier League title fading fast, they are still very much alive in the UEFA Champions League competition. The quest for seven will next see them take on RB Leipzig, in the round of 16, with the first leg being staged on neutral territory.
That’s because Germany’s covid-19 safeguards and protocols prohibit English teams from entering the country. A more contagious variant of the covid-19 virus was first discovered in the United Kingdom and it has been confirmed that much of England’s current struggles with the pandemic are due to this newer variation.
With public health concerns on the rise, and Liverpool unable to play at Leipzig, several ideas were floated, including potential reversing the tie, and playing the Anfield leg first. However, a resolution has now been found and it’s the nation of Hungary
The Puskas Arena in the Hungarian capital city of Budapest will host Liverpool-Leipzig for the first leg on Tuesday, Feb. 16. Anfield will host the second leg on March 10. Hungary is about halfway between the two clubs, but obviously, this is a hueg advantage for the Reds. That said, it’s the German government who came to this decision, so it’s not like the Liverpool city council made the call on this or anything.
Leipzig are currently second in the Bundesliga table, seven points behind the league’s annual ruling oligarchs, Bayern Munich. The Bavarian giants are considered the second most favorable side to win the UCL, behind only Manchester City. Liverpool are typically right behind them, being given the third best odds, usually.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank, partnered with News Now. Banks, the author of “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry,” has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated, Chicago Tribune and SB Nation. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.