Liverpool’s UEFA Champions league last-16 tie against RB Leipzig will be played in Budapest, Hungary on March 10 rather than at Anfield, United Kingdom, it has emerged.
RB Leipzig will be unable to travel to the United Kingdom to play the match at Anfield as planned due to COVID-19 regulations in Germany.
European football authority in a statement on Thursday morning said;
UEFA is able to officially confirm that the Champions League round of 16 second leg match between Liverpool and RB Leipzig will now be played at the Puskas Arena in Budapest. The date of the match (March 10, 2021) and the kick-off time (9pm CET) will remain the same.
UEFA would like to express its gratitude to Liverpool and RB Leipzig for their support and close cooperation, as well as the Hungarian Football Federation for their assistance and agreeing to stage the match.
Instead of holding the games in Germany and England, the two sides will play both matches in Budapest due to coronavirus restrictions on travel.
German government denied Liverpool entry into the country for the first leg amid concerns over new strains of coronavirus, which are prevalent in the UK.
Should Leipzig have travelled to England for the second leg, German government informed the team last month that they would need to quarantine upon their return.
Puskas Arena in Hungarian Capital will now host the fixture, the same venue the teams contested the first meeting at on February 16.
The Reds (Liverpool) were victorious in the first tie, defeating the German side 2-0 thanks to goals from their African forwards – Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah.
Meanwhile, Leipzig defeated Borussia Monchengladbach 3-2 in their last time out in the Bundesliga. They now sit at second place two points behind League leaders Bayern Munich. They have won their last six games in the Bundesliga.
Also, Liverpool faced Sheffield United in the last time out, the Reds defeated relegation-bound Sheffield 2-0, to end their poor run of four straight losses in English premier league.
