The Champions League is back: this is how it has changed in 149 days

The Champions returns. 149 days after the Atlético de Madrid will epically defeat Liverpool at Anfield, with an exhibition by Marcos Llorente, the top competition resumes with the Juventus-Lyon and the Manchester City-Real Madrid. It will be today, Friday, August 7, in local fields. Already in the quarterfinals the competition will travel to Lisbon to play a final eight in a neutral venue, a single match and without an audience. Nothing will be what it was and, even, many say that it cannot be taken into consideration as much as years ago. The coronavirus has changed football and the conditions under which it can be played from next season are still unknown. But in these unique circumstances in history, the beautiful game has not given up and will put the most desired cup into play. Of course since that March 11, teams have been completely transformed, they have suffered or enjoyed the hectic schedule of their domestic competitions, they have celebrated titles, they have cried failures or, even, they have lost capital players.

A box already drawn

Despite the fact that not all the knockout stages of the round of 16 have been completed, UEFA wanted to leave the crossings settled so as not to have to hold draws on the fly. Thus, it is already known which is the way to the end, with two diametrically opposite sides of the picture. He Chance wanted one of them to add a total of 26 continental trophies, while in the other, none of those involved has managed to lift the 'Orejona'. In other words, the presence in the final of a team without Champions is guaranteed, which will have before it the possibility of making history.

The winner of the cross between Real Madrid and Manchester City will be measured to the one of the eliminatory that measures to Lyon and Juventus. In the semifinals, they would face Naples, Barcelona, ​​Bayern or Chelsea. On the contrary, they play in quarters PSG and Atalanta and Atlético de Madrid and Leipzig. Despite their continental poster in recent years, neither those of Tuchel nor those of Simeone know what it is to lift the Champions League. Maybe the coronavirus season is your season.

Changes in the regulations, a sung top scorer, an uncertain favorite …

As has happened in all continental competitions, the Champions League will include a call for 23, the possibility of making five changes in three different batches and hydration breaks to save the heat. Of course, there will be VAR, with the novelty that the new regulation promoted by the IFAB is introduced. The main changes are the elimination of the yellow cards to the goalkeepers if they go ahead on a penalty and that seeing a second yellow in the penalty shoot-out does not mean an expulsion.

Given the changes, both at the regulatory level and in football terms after the pandemic, it seems more complicated than ever to elucidate who could be crowned champion. The strong side, historically speaking, has yet to close the round of 16. He Real Madrid, which reaches a high level, loses stripes of favoritism due to having to come back. He Barcelona, after his League final, he loses steam. He City Guardiola and Bayern, intractable in Germany, are among the best placed. On the other hand, there are two clear favorites: PSG and Atlético de Madrid. In what there is no doubt it is in regards to the top scorer. With Haaland removed, Lewandowski is left alone. The Pole already has eleven goals and Gnabry and Mertens follow, with only six.

How have the teams changed?

Manchester City – Real Madrid (2-1 in the first leg)

Lights and shadows in the return of Manchester City, who will defend a favorable 1-2 in the Etihad. Despite not having any option to win the Premier, those of Guardiola have played superb games in those who have imposed their football with an iron fist. Similarly, the 4-0 at Liverpool or 3-0 to Arsenal They speak to their full potential. Defeats against Chelsea or Southampton they just looked like little smudges. Yes, losing 2-0 to Arsenal in the FA Cup semi-final was a hard blow in what was the best chance to make up for the Klopp team's outstanding year in domestic competition. Now is the Champions League, in which he will not be able to be Omen after suffering a knee injury. Even so, citizens They have more than enough resources to send across Europe and they arrive more regularly than was shown before the stoppage due to the pandemic.

Madrid, for its part, has taken advantage of the confinement to return to the conquest of the titles. Those of Zidane, before braking, gave the feeling of years ago: capable of the best and the worst. This is evidenced by the brilliant triumph against Barcelona and the subsequent defeat against Betis. After the return, nobody in LaLiga put his regularity in check. Ten decisive wins and a single draw in front of a Leganés who was risking his life and with the trophy already in the windows. Also, Hazard is in fullness and men like Benzema, Vinicius or Rodrygo they go through the best time of the season. Yes it may be Asensio, for having registered the club in the winter list despite his injury. Not like this Mariano, infected with Covid-19, nor Bouquets, by penalty. If the king of Europe left doubts, after the break, he has returned unstoppable. Of course, you will need to overcome a continental colossus …

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Juventus – Olympique Lyon (0-1 in the first leg)

Juve reaches the Champions League as the brand new champion of Serie A, despite all doubts. Italy relaunched the competition with the Coppa. The 'Vecchia Signora' eliminated Milan despite drawing zero, but fell on penalties in the grand final against Naples. Bad starting feelings, solved with four consecutive league wins. Then came the problems, which were consolidated until the last day. The balance of two wins, two draws and four losses after the win against Torino it is not the best sign for those of Sarri. Despite this, it was worth them to be crowned in domestic competition and Christian has proven to be at a great level. Sufficient evidence to scare Lyon, which will defend the 0-1 he achieved in France.

The case of Lyon is controversial to say the least. His performance before the pandemic placed him out of European positions. Ligue 1 approved the suspension of the competition, in a very controversial decision. Time, seen what has been seen in Spain, has given him some reason. Even so, it was a hard blow for the Champions teams, which They arrive without rolling to the decisive qualifiers. Therefore, they played five friendlies, with four victories and one defeat. They also disputed the final of the League Cup against PSG, in which they fell in the penalty shootout. Now, they will defend their pride and seek the miracle. They start with an advantage against Juve and are hungry to demonstrate on the pitch the football that they have not been able to teach for months.

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Barcelona – Naples (1-1 in the first leg)

The Barça has been an earthquake in the resumption. Not so much for the results, that also, but for all the internal problems. From the doubts left by the figure of Quique Setién, to the words of Leo Messi's captain asking for an extra effort and football to his teammates to be able to fight the 'Orejona'. Passing, through the testimonial participation of Antoine Griezmann in key matches or the Pjanic-Arthur exchange, which has caused the Brazilian to declare himself in absentia and refuse to play the Champions League. Beyond the aforementioned setbacks, the Blaugrana team did not go beyond the draw or against Seville, nor in front of Celtic nor in the duel against him Athletic of Madrid, what the League cost in favor of Real Madrid. The lace was the defeat against Osasuna, at the Camp Nou and with still some chance of winning the title. San Paolo's 1-1 is a dangerous result.

Nevertheless, Naples arrives at the return of the knockout stages of the Champions League with their homework done. He will not play the competition, except for a capital surprise, next season, although has been crowned champion of the Coppa. His year in Serie A is, rather, poor, ending in the seventh position. After confinement, in the regular championship he has signed a balance of seven wins, two draws and three losses. Although De Laurentiis has already stressed that they fear playing in Barcelona and has requested to play the tie in Lisbon, his people will come out to bite looking to be among the top eight of the old European Cup.

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Bayern Munich – Chelsea (0-3 in the first leg)

The tie travels to Stamford Bridge to prepare for Bayern and the last day of class for Frank Lampard's men. Chelsea can be satisfied in the first season of their legend at the helm. They showed, yes, regularity throughout the year despite the departure of their great star Eden Hazard. After the restart, one of lime and one of sand. They added important triumphs such as against City or Leicester; painful defeats like 5-3 against Liverpool; and They sealed their place in the FA Cup final, recently won by Mikel Arteta's Arsenal. It can be said that there are no major variations of the team that left compared to the one that returned. Regardless of that, and waiting for a very ambitious project for the next season, the comeback seems unfeasible.

The Bundesliga was the first competition that dared to return, which now generates concern at Bayern. Not because of the level shown after the restart, being possibly the best of all those who survive the Champions League. Those of Flick added eleven of eleven victories in official competition and two titles: the Bundesliga and the Pokal. That was more than a month ago, as the Cup final was played on July 4. Since then, a vacation break and severe preparation to conquer Lisbon. To do this, without the newly signed Sané, the Germans will have to deal carefully with the Allianz Arena procedure. Just in case, to avoid taking risks, they are competing in little friendlies. For example, the 1-0 win against Marseille.

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Atalanta – PSG (quarter-finals)

The DEA has stood firm as a crazy team, a precursor of offensive festivals and passionate duels in front of the spectator. He had already shown it dozens of times. In fact, their last three games before the break were the best evidence: 4-1 at Valencia, 2-7 at Lecce and 3-4 at Mestalla. He wasn't going to change his modus operandi on the restart. A loss to Inter, three draws and nine wins is a great record that even made Juventus tremble at the top of the table. Also, his rival arrives little shot and the qualification for the quarterfinals of the Champions is for the club a historic opportunity to redeem itself and walk its name and values ​​through the old continent.

PSG also suffers from the same syndrome as Olympique de Lyon. Of course, he arrives with a breath of extra oxygen after being crowned Ligue 1 champion without the need for a restart and win the finals of the Coupe de France and the League Cup against Saint-Etienne and Lyon himself respectively. However, it comes little shot to play the quarterfinals of the Champions League. Once the curse of eighths of previous years has been overcome, in Paris there is an illusion of proclaiming themselves European champions. Neymar He has already shown in the titles achieved that he is at a superlative level. Mbappé, maybe better during the season, it is doubt until the last minute due to an injury suffered during these months. The club plays with him and his presence is not ruled out. Be that as it may, the powerful project commanded by Tuchel has weapons to spare to make it into the top four.

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Leipzig – Atlético de Madrid (quarter-finals)

There is unanimity around the team most punished by the unpredictable football that the coronavirus has left. Definitely, Leipzig has been profoundly transformed since the competition resumed and everything revolves around one name: Timo Werner. The Red Bull sponsored team re-qualified for the Champions, great goal of the season. But in his wake he loses his great star and second top scorer in the Bundesliga with 28 goals and 8 assists in your private account. The forward has already signed for Chelsea and made the decision not to play in the continental competition to focus on being in prime condition with his new team for the start of the next season. There have even been tensions between both parties, as seen in the ingenious tweet published by the official Leipzig account when Lampard's men lost the FA Cup. In it, they joked that the striker already misses his old home.

Atlético arrives thrown to the appointment. The resounding success against Liverpool had been the safe conduct to quite irregular months, in which the Cholo team had been unable to settle in Champions League positions. Reaching the quarterfinals again was one of the mattress illusions, which are still reminiscent of the two lost finals against Real Madrid. The return to the competition was also favorable to them, establishing himself as one of the best after the restart. Seven wins and four draws lifted him to third placeeven when their qualification for European competitions was in question. In addition, in this time they have finished settling footballers such as frames Llorente or Yannick Ferreira Carrasco, already essential for Simeone. Atleti returns to Lisbon with the intention of forgetting ghosts of the past.

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