On March 12, six first-round matches were played when the threat of the coronavirus was already sweeping Europe. The one-way clashes between Inter Milan and Getafe and Seville-, however, were postponed sine die. They were the last, since days later the COVID-19 paralyzed the sport. Now 146 days later, about five months, the European club competitions are back. He does this Wednesday with the Europa League, which premieres new dates; single match playoffs; a country as host of the 'Final a Eight' and many new features. What has changed in the second European club competition since those distant days of march? Here are all the answers.
Round of 16 matches to be played
UEFA resumes the competition with the remaining sixteen second round matches. Also, the novelty lies in the matches suspended at the time without playing the first leg (Inter-Getafe and Seville-Rome), which will be played in a single match. The European body decided that they should be held on a neutral field, choosing Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg respectively, as host cities of the clashes. He Inter-Getafe will be on Wednesday, August 5 at 9:00 p.m.. Meanwhile, the Seville-Rome will be played on Thursday 6 at 6:55 p.m.
Outbound results:
-Istanbul Basaksehir 1-Copenhagen 0
-Olympiacos 1-Wolverhampton 1
-Glasgow Rangers 1-Bayer Leverkusen 3
-Wolfsburg 1-Shakhtar Donetsk 2
-Eintracht Frankfurt 0-Basel 3
-LASK 0-Manchester United 5
Single match playoffs defined in Germany
Given the impossibility of finishing the competition with the usual double-game quarter-final and semifinal crossings, it has been decided, as in the Champions, play single-game playoffs. The quarterfinals are scheduled for August 10 and 11 at a neutral venue. UEFA decided that Germany would be the right venue for the mini-competition. Cologne and Düsseldorf joined the cities of Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg to host meetings. The semifinals will also be played on German soil on August 16 and 17. The grand finale will be on the 21st at the RheinEnergieStadion in Cologne. Remember that all these matches will be played behind closed doors and without spectators.
The great victim has been the Polish city of Gdansk that ran out of the Europa League final in 2020, although it will be the host city in the 2020-2021 edition. Whose final will be held on May 26 of that year.
UEFA raffled the quarter-finals and semifinals on July 10. These are the crosses of the Europa League:
Wolfsburg-Shakhtar vs Eintracht-Basel (1). August 11. Gelsenkirchen. 21:00
Lask-United vs Copenhagen-Basaksehir (2). August 10. Suburb. 21:00
Inter-Getafe vs Rangers-Leverkusen (3). August 10. Dusseldorf. 21:00
Olympiacos-Wolves vs Sevilla-Roma (4). August 11. Duisburg. 21:00
Semifinals:
Winner of junction 4 vs winner of junction 2. August 16. Suburb. 21:00
Winner of junction 3 vs winner of junction 1. August 17. Dusseldorf. 21:00
Final
August 21, Cologne, 9:00 p.m.
Five changes and 23 calls
As a great novelty, teams may make up to five changes during matches but, to limit the number of time stops, they will only be allowed to make these changes in three moments of the match. These three occasions do not include changes at half-time, between the end of 90-minute regulation time and overtime, and at half-time after extra time. An additional change will be allowed during overtime.
Substitution in Sevilla.
Toni Rodriguez (DAILY AS)
There will also be more players to choose from: a total of 23 players will be allowed on the match tab instead of 18, something that was normally only allowed for the final. Up to 3 new players have been included in list A of the teams but had to be registered in the squad before February 3. That is to say, no newly signed.
Seville and Getafe, Spanish in contention
If in March Getafe was all moral with his firm step in the Spanish league and after dancing to Ajax in round of 32. Now the situation has changed. La pandemic has raised doubts for José Bordalás's team, who saw how the Champions League even escaped her on her hesitant return. Getafe will face Inter, which despite finishing second in Serie A, has a fire within the club. The position on the bench is a powder keg and the continuity of Antonio Conte is unknown. What equals the forces of two clubs that were better in March. Alexis Sanchez, one of the soccer players neroazzurro more fit, he will be able to play against the azulones but in hypothetical quarters he would have to return to the ranks of the 'red devils'.
Jaime Mata against Ajax.
ANP Sport (Getty Images)
While, Sevilla have undergone a metamorphosis. He stood in the second round asking for the time against Cluj and the European future was rather black for those of Lopetegui, who preferred to focus their forces on securing a place in the next Champions League. Once the objective has been achieved, the Europa League is seen on the horizon as a very sweet 'candy' to put in your mouth. The positive for Gudelj coronavirus It has generated concern for the Seville expedition that has a very tough opponent in front of it. Roma finally failed to win the Champions League via Serie A and will focus their efforts on a Europa League that will serve as a shortcut to be among the best. The Romans are in top form and their numbers are scary: eight consecutive games without knowing the defeat in the league. With victory included at home against Juventus. The central Smalling It will be low since United does not extend his loan at Roma. Anyway, it's a tough bone to gnaw on but Sevilla do not know what it is to lose after the resumption of competition.
Manchester United: from penance to top seed
Bruno Fernandes.
Matthew Peters (Getty Imag)
For a champion like him Manchester United, lThe Europa League was a minor trophy earlier in the year. More after being very irregular during the season. However, the pandemic came and the Solskjaer team added nine games without losing after the break in the Premier. Now he is the rival to beat in the competition and the top favorite to become champion and conquer the second Europa League in its history. Bruno Fernandes, who has already played the competition with Sporting Portugal, has changed the face of the Old Trafford club. Martial, Rashford, Greenwood, Pogba and company have found the perfect way to play and even bookmakers see them as top contenders for the title.
The Europa League as a lifeline
The campaign has not ended as expected for the Bayer Leverkusennot for him Frankfurt Eintracht and for him Wolverhampton. Bayer Leverkusen ran out of Champions League place in the final sprint of the Bundesliga. The only chance to be in the top European competition next season is to win the Europa League. For that reason, Peter Bosz's Leverkusen has flatly refused to lose his star, Kai Havertz, before ending his participation in Europe, and has rejected all offers for him.
For Wolves and Eintracht, only victory would ensure them play European competitions in 2020-2021. Nuno's Wolves finished seventh in the Premier but Arsenal's victory in the FA Cup has 'stolen' their European place. A victory in Cologne would mean a great leap to the Champions and the possibility of retaining his star Raúl Jiménez. Similar role to that of Eintracht, which has Portuguese Andre Silva (eight post-confinement goals) in unleashed mode.
Raúl Jiménez, from Wolves.
Mike Hewitt (Getty Images)
Three national champions with their homework done and without pressure
Three brand-new champions from their leagues come back to the Europa League knowing that they have already met. Olympiacos, Shakhtar Donetsk and Istanbul Basaksehir They have won their domestic leagues, after the competition resumed. The Turkish team conquered their first league title and comes with morale through the roof to also make history in Europe. The Hellenic set, by contrast, can be one of the great surprises. He has only lost one game in the entire Greek league and has at his disposal to continue with a dream campaign in Piraeus. Meanwhile, Shakhtar is always very solid in a competition he knows well. For something he was champion in 2009.
Curiosity in the Glasgow Rangers, a positive for COVID-19 …
The effects of the pandemic have caused unusual situations. Glasgow Rangers will play the remainder of the Europa League on horseback between two seasons. And is that Steven Gerrard's started the new season (2020-2021) last weekend. They have not finished one and are already in play in the next. All very strange.
Another team that has also undergone major changes since March is the Austrian LASK, one of the animators of the tournament. Of the first leg, in which they lost 0-5 against United, the Frenchman will no longer be on the bench Valérien Ismaël, which has been replaced by Dominik Thalhammer. The last minute bad news has been carried out by the Swiss defender of Wolfsburg, Kevin Mbabu, who has tested positive for coronavirus in pre-competition tests. It will be low against Shakhtar.
Fierce dispute for being the top scorer
Diogo Jota (Wolves); Bruno Fernandes (M. United); Kamada (Eintracht); Morelos (Rangers) and Visca (Basaksehir) they compete for the top scorer in the Europa League. Munir (Seville) and Greenwood (United) chase them, very close, with five goals.
Alfredo Morelos, Colombian from Rangers.
POOL (REUTERS)
The feat does not have the recognition of the Champions but it is also super important. Neither more nor less last season, Jovic finished second (behind Giroud) and his goals transported him to the Santiago Bernabéu.
Check the Europa League schedule here.