We’re getting back to normal, slowly but surely, and the return of football has given us plenty to talk about. FC Bayern have already won the Bundesliga while Liverpool inch closer to the Premier League.
Over in Spain, Real Madrid have drawn level with Barcelona while in Italy, Juventus and Lazio are set to renew their epic contest. And when all these issues are done and dusted, we have European football to enjoy before we even think about the 2020/21 season!
The 2020 Champions League is set to be concluded as a mini-tournament, with the quarter-finals beginning on 12th August and the final scheduled for Sunday 23rd, but there are still a few Round of 16 matters to be settled.
Manchester City’s fate to be revealed in July
English champions Manchester City are preparing to hand their league title over to Liverpool, but they have a much bigger problem to ponder than that. The Premier League has been in Liverpool’s hands since Christmas, so City have re-focussed on the cup competitions, particularly their Holy Grail of the Champions League.
The Sky Blues have one foot in the quarter-finals, but their biggest battle is off the field as they await the ruling of the UEFA Court of Arbitration, after they appealed the two year ban slapped on them as a punishment for alleged financial fairness breaches.
City have protested their innocence and put their case, and now they must wait for the court to decide their fate. The announcement is due early in July, and should a ban, possibly reduced to one year, still be imposed then this year’s competition takes on a much bigger significance for Pep Guardiola and his players.
Where we left off
So let’s recap where we were before the coronavirus outbreak put a sudden stop to football.
Atleti’s stunning win over Liverpool, 2-3 at Anfield and 2-4 on aggregate, means that Diego Simeone’s team join Atalanta, who dumped Valencia out, and Red Bull Leipzig who outclassed Tottenham Hotspur over two legs. Paris Saint Germain make up the four who have already booked their place, having overturned a first leg deficit against Borussia Dortmund.
PSG, like Manchester City, have failed to break through the glass ceiling of Europe’s premier competition but it looks like they’ll have four more big players to take on.
The Sky Blues are favourites to see off Real Madrid, after a Kevin de Bruyne master class gave them a 1-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Juventus are a goal behind against Lyon, but should be able to overturn that in the second leg and, equally, I’d back Barcelona to navigate their second leg against Napoli, having drawn the first 1-1 in Naples.
Meanwhile, German champions FC Bayern are as good as there, having taken Chelsea apart at Stamford Bridge, and have a three goal start for the second leg.
How have the big guns started?
Manchester City have returned to action in the Premier League and were impressive when they dismantled Arsenal last Wednesday. The Sky Blues are yet to win the Champions League and that is clearly their focus now. The Champions League 2020 betting odds have consistently pitched Pep Guardiola’s team as favourites, but there are some European experts to beat if they are to finally win the tournament.
FC Bayern could be the team to beat. Hansi Flick’s side has been in superb form since the return, having already sealed an eighth successive league title. Striker Robert Lewandowski seems to be getting better and better. The Pole became the most prolific foreign goal scorer in Bundesliga history when he bagged his 33rd goal of the season as Bayern swept SC Freiburg aside for their 12th successive victory.
Red Bull Leipzig have been hit and miss, winning two of their last six games, and losing to Borussia Dortmund at the weekend, and they still have plenty of work to do to guarantee a place in next year’s competition.
Barcelona have won two and drawn one of their three games, a goalless stalemate with Sevilla letting Real Madrid back into the title race.
Football is well underway in the four big leagues, it’s going to be non-stop for the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for the latest SBOBETodds as we bring you the hot Champions League 2020 updates as and when they happen.
It’s a great time to be a football fan and hopefully we’ll get back in the grounds before too long. In the meantime, enjoy the games safely.strong>
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