Here’s everything you need to know about the 2020-21 UEFA Champions League season, the teams involved and whether Bayern Munich can repeat.
While it was just last month that Bayern Munich were crowned European champions, the best teams on the continent are preparing to do battle once again in another edition of the Champions League.
As a result of coronavirus-related delays, last season’s Champions League and the current edition’s preliminary rounds ran concurrently throughout the summer. With the preliminary rounds/playoffs slated to conclude this month, UEFA hopes the tournament can return to normal come October.
Bayern, who won this past season’s title in epic style, will look to dominate the field once again, but rivals Real Madrid, Barcelona, Liverpool, Manchester City, Juventus and Paris Saint-Germain look to challenge the German club for the continent’s biggest prize.
“If you play so good in the last season, then everyone is looking at you now and how you will be in the new season,” striker Robert Lewandowski said when asked about Bayern’s biggest challenge this season. “And if you are on the top you have to work harder to stay longer on the top. And I think so for us that is the big challenge for this season.”
Here are five things you need to know about the upcoming edition of the Champions League.
Which teams have qualified for the group stage?
Thirty-two teams will participate in the group stage: 26 automatically qualifying while six others emerging from the qualifying rounds. The teams will be divided into eight groups containing four teams each.
The 12 clubs currently vying for those final six spots will be decided next week in the final playoff round.
The group-stage draw will take place on October 1. The first round opens Oct. 20. Defending champs Bayern, Sevilla (last season’s Europa League winners) and six league winners, Real Madrid, Liverpool, Juventus, PSG, Zenit St. Petersburg and Porto, will not meet during the group stage.
What has changed from last season?
Last season’s edition saw the knockout round, from the quarterfinals onward, played in a single-game, World Cup-style elimination format rather than over two legs. The move, which some fans wanted to become permanent, was made to speed up the tournament and cut down on travel after the pandemic delayed the competition in March.
The tournament is scheduled to be played like in previous editions. That will only change should a spike in infections during the season force another pause or the creation of a bubble.
What does the schedule look like?
The competition will feature, as usual, the group stage played over six matchdays. The group stage will end on December 9.
The tournament will take its annual winter break before returning with the Round of 16 on February 16, 2021.
Will there be fans in the stands?
There is no plan as of yet to have fans attend games. While some leagues have opened games up to a limited number of spectators, the Champions League could allow fans depending on the infection rate in the countries the teams hail from.
Can Bayern Munich repeat as champions?
Bayern lifted the trophy in August, completing the treble and showing total domination over the rest of the field. Harder than winning the title is repeating, although the Bavarian giants have the talent to do so.