The second leg of Liverpool’s Champions League last-16 tie with RB Leipzig has been moved from Anfield to Budapest, Uefa has confirmed.
The first leg was also played in the Hungarian capital due to the German government’s travel restrictions which prevented Liverpool from travelling. The Leipzig squad would have had to quarantine for 10 days on their return to Germany from the UK, rendering Anfield unfeasible as host of the second leg.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp praised Budapest’s Puskas Arena after the first leg, which his side won 2-0. “Brilliant, really brilliant, it’s a great stadium,” Klopp said. “Inside, it looks a little bit like the Atletico Madrid stadium, which felt good for us, to be honest. It’s a great stadium, the pitch was great. I’m pretty sure it’s a proper football stadium so if this one is sold out in the future that will create some atmosphere.”
In a statement, Uefa said: “The Uefa Champions League Round of 16 second leg match between Liverpool FC and RB Leipzig will now be played at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. The date of the match (10 March 2021) and the kick-off time (21:00CET) will remain the same.
“Uefa would like to express its gratitude to Liverpool FC 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.”
