Champions League final 2019-2020: when and where is it being played
The Champions League 2019-20, affected the the Covid-19 pandemic, is reaching its conclusion. Here's everything you need to know about where PSG v Bayern Munich will be played.
Suspended on account of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Champions League 2019/2020 finally got underway again in August and has now reached its conclusion: the final between PSG and Bayern Munich. Which is no less than the first Champions League final between two reigning league champions since 1997/98 (when Juventus were beaten 1-0 by Real Madrid at the Amsterdam Arena).
This season, UEFA was forced by the coronavirus crisis to rethink everything, just as it had been forced to suspend the European Championships until 2021.
The Champions League got back underway in August, first playing out the remaining second legs of the round of 16 at the home grounds of the sides as originally planned, but then moving to an entirely new one-legged format for the quarter-finals onwards, with all the teams staying in Lisbon and playing the matches at the Estadio da Luz and the Estadio José Alvalade.
The eight sides who made it through to the quarter-finals and the results were:
Atalanta 1-2 PSG
Leipzig 2-1 Atlético Madrid
Barcelona 2-8 (EIGHT) Bayern Munich
Manchester City 1-3 Lyon
In the first semi-final PSG outclassed Leipzig, 3-0. In the final they'll meet Bayern Munich who overpowered Lyon, also 3-0.
When is the Champions League final 2019/2020?
The final of the Champions League 19/20 between PSG and Bayern Munich will be on Sunday 23 August at 20:00 local time, 21:00 CEST. In the US that's 15:00 ET and 12:00 PT.
It's the last match of the 19/20 season and the 11th Champions League final in a row being played at the weekend.
The winner of the trophy will play in the European Super Cup 20202 and will directly qualify for the World Club Cup to be played in Qatar, with the date yet to be determined.
Where is the Champions League final 2019/20 being played?
The final was due to be played at the Atatürk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul, but Turkey turned down the opportunity when it was decided the game would be played without fans. That stadium will be used for the final of the 2020/21 edition.
Lisbon in Portugal offered to host the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final at the Estadio da Luz and the Estadio José Alvalade, with the Estadio da Luz, officially named Estádio Sport Lisboa e Benfica, being selected to host the final.
Estadio da Luz: UEFA favourite
Benfica's ground will host the Champions League final 2019/20 thanks in part to its elite category rating with UEFA and thanks to the experience the last time it hosted the Champions League final, six years ago, when Real Madrid beat Atlético Madrid to lift their tenth European Cup.
Benfica fans call it 'The Cathedral'. It has a capacity of over 64,000 fans and was designed by architect Damon Lavelle, costing 120 million euros when it was finished in time for the 2004 Euros. The new Estadio da Luz replaced the previous Benfica ground, which was built on an adjacent plot.
The Estadio da Luz lies seven kilometres from Lisbon city centre and boasts the Benfica museum, a covered swimming pool, a panoramic restaurant looking out over the pitch and several shops.