C/League: Liverpool/RB Leipzig war to hold in Budapest

Liverpool’s Champions League clash with RB Leipzig will take place in Budapest after the Puskas Arena was chosen to host the match.

UEFA confirmed on Sunday the Champions League Round of 16 first leg match  has been moved to Budapest after Germany announced a travel ban with no exceptions for professional sports team in light of the ongoing pandemic.

Talks had taken place with several other venues – including Tottenham’s stadium – but the Puskas Arena has been named as the designated ground to stage the g

In a statement, UEFA said: ‘UEFA can confirm that the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg match between RB Leipzig and Liverpool FC will now take place at Puskás Aréna in Budapest.

‘The date of the match (16 February 2021) and kick-off time (21:00CET) will remain the same.

‘UEFA would like to thank RB Leipzig and Liverpool FC for their close cooperation and assistance in finding a solution to the issue at hand, as well as the Hungarian Football Federation for their support and agreeing to host the match in question.’

Hosts Leipzig had been permitted to come up with a suitable alternative and fortunately reached a solution just nine days before the match to avoid UEFA from taking charge.

Germany’s border restrictions may also affect Manchester City’s trip to face Borussia Monchengladbach on February 24 should the ban be extended.

Monchengladbach have reportedly already requested the use of FC Midtjylland’s MCH Arena in Denmark for the match, but UEFA have signalled they will be open to delaying fixtures affected by travel restrictions across the globe.