The draw for the group stage games of the 2020/21 UEFA Champions League season was concluded on Thursday, and here's everything you need to know about it.
UEFA Champions League 2020/21 Groups:
Group A: Bayern Munich, Atletico Madrid, FC Salzburg, Lokomotiv Moscow
Group B: Real Madrid, Shakhtar Donetsk, Inter Milan, Borussia Monchengladbach
Group C: FC Porto, Manchester City, Olympiacos, Marseille
Group D: Liverpool, Ajax, Atalanta, FC Midtjylland
Group E: Sevilla, Chelsea, FC Krasnodar, Stade Rennais
Group F: Zenit, Borussia Dortmund, Lazio, Club Brugge
Group G: Juventus, Barcelona, Dynamo Kyiv, Ferencvaros TC
Group H: Paris Saint Germain, Manchester United, RB Leipzig, Istanbul Basaksehir
When will the UEFA Champions League group stage game be played?
The first game of the UEFA Champions League group stage will kick off on October 20, 2020, and will run until December 9. Here's how the games will be played:
Matchday 1: 20-21 October
Matchday 2: 27-28 October
Matchday 3: 3-4 November
Matchday 4: 24-25 November
Matchday 5: 1-2 December
Matchday 6: 8-9 December
Once the group stage games are over, the first leg of the round of 16 will begin from February 16, 2021, until February 25. The second leg will commence on March 9, 2021, running until March 17. The rest of the schedule looks as follows:
UEFA Champions League 2020/21 Quarter-Finals Dates:
First Leg: 6-7 April 2021
Second Leg: 13-14 April 2021
UEFA Champions League 2020/21 Semi-Finals Dates:
First Leg: 27-28 April 2021
Second Leg: 4-5 May 2021
When and Where will the UEFA Champions League Final be played?
The 2020/21 UEFA Champions League final will be played on 29 May 2021 at Ataturk Olympic Stadium, Istanbul.
What's different in UEFA Champions League 2020/21?
In the wake of the global pandemic, it has been confirmed that each will be allowed to make five substitutions per game. A sixth substitution will be allowed in case the game goes into extra time. Those five substitutes, however, can only be made in three attempts. The fourth opportunity will only be allowed in extra time. Also, as many as 12 players can be named on the substitute bench.
Furthermore, if there happen to be travel restrictions in case the home team registers a positive case, the match could either be played at a neutral venue or in the away team's home country.
When and where to watch UEFA Champions League 2020/21?
Like the 2019/20 UEFA Champions League season, the Indian fans can watch the new season live on Sony network. The live stream, meanwhile, can be viewed on UEFA’s official website, Jio TV, Sony Liv app and Airtel TV.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / David Ramos
