Who’s Going To Win UEFA Champions League Final 2020?

The strangest European football season since World War II comes to an elongated end on August 23rd, when the UEFA Champions League final decides the football kings of the continent.

But like everything else in this ‘new normal’, it will be far from normal. The ultimate prize itself will be lifted in front of a virtually empty stadium – Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz, house of SL Benfica. The Portuguese capital will also play host to all four quarter-finals and both semis – which will be one-legged affairs – in the preceding days.

So how did we get here? Who have been the top players of the Champions League this season? And who will succeed Liverpool as european champions at the end of it all?

Best Players & Biggest Surprises Of The Champions League 2020

Back in the days when fans could watch football matches in the stadium, Bayern Munich made the running by being the only team to win all six group-stage games in the present Champions League edition, including a stunning 7-2 win at last season’s finalists Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs still qualified for the knockout stages, as did reigning champions Liverpool, despite being the first holders in 25 years to lose their opening game. Real Madrid picked up just one point from their first two games in the UCL and had to go through as runners-up, to Paris St Germain, while tournament debutants Atalanta were the biggest surprise, winning their last two games to sneak in ahead of the more experienced Shakhtar Donetsk. The exciting RB Leipzig made the knockout stages for the first time, while Barcelona, Juventus, Borussia Dortmund, Atlético Madrid, Valencia, Manchester City, Chelsea, Napoli and Lyon completed the last 16 teams of the UEFA Champions League 2020.

UCL 2020 Last 16 Teams

Four teams of those last-16 ties were completed pre-lockdown. Holders Liverpool were sent tumbling out in extra-time by Atlético, while Tottenham were swept aside by the vibrant RB Leipzig. Atalanta’s dream continued as they won 8-4 on aggregate against Valencia and PSG edged out fellow giants Borussia Dortmund. Bayern should also go through the next stage of the Champions League after winning the first leg away at Chelsea 3-0, while Man City lead Real Madrid 2-1, Lyon lead Juventus 1-0 and Napoli are tied 1-1 with Barcelona. These ties will be completed on August 7 and 8.

The leading scorer before lockdown was Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski, with 11 goals, while Erling Haaland – who has played for both Red Bull Salzburg and Borussia Dortmund – is just one behind (16 goals). Harry Kane (Tottenham), Serge Gnabry (FC Bayern) and Dries Mertens (Napoli) all have six goals in the UCL 2020 edition. Ajax’s Hakim Ziyech, who will play for Chelsea next season, leads the Champions League assists charts with five.

Who Will Win The Champions League 2020?

Atalanta may find Paris Saint Germain too much to handle in the UCL quarters, and the French team could next come up against Atlético Madrid, whose European experience may see them edge out RB Leipzig. Real Madrid may need penalties to see off Man City in the last 16 and should then face-off against Juventus and their old super star Cristiano Ronaldo in the quarters, with Italy’s famed ‘Old Lady’ potentially emerging triumphant. If Barcelona goes through against Napoli, it sets up a tasty quarter-final against Bayern – and that is a toss-up.

Champions League 2020 Final Predictions

The semi-final line-up, therefore, could be PSG v Atlético Madrid and Juventus v Barcelona or Bayern Munich – with whoever comes through that latter tie likely to be favourite to win the UEFA Champions League 2020 final.

And so, a tournament that began on June 25, 2019 with wins for Kosovo’s Feronikeli and Andorra’s FC Santa Coloma, will end on August 23, 2020, some 14 months later.

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