Sports Wednesday, August 12, 2020 13 Lisbon opens its arms to ‘bizarre’ Champions League finale

AFP according to the Lisbon region Yet Lisbon police still plan Lisbon police chief, Paulo Pereira. to deploy as many officers on A study conducted by the game days as they would if Football supporters would Portuguese Institute of Mar- supporters were attending. usually flock in huge numbers keting Administration has es- Portugal, with its popula- to the city hosting the finale timated that a total of 16,000 tion of just over 10 million, of the Champions League, but fans could come to the city successfully hosted the 2004 this time it is set to be a dif- even though none are allowed European Championship. ferent experience for fans who into games. The Estadio da Luz was the have decided to come to Lisbon That is despite British venue for the 2014 Champions for the ‘Final Eight’ despite the tourists being advised not to League final between Real Ma- coronavirus pandemic. travel to Portugal this holiday drid and Atletico Madrid while For the first time, as an ex- season. Pep Guardiola’s Man- large numbers of foreign fans ceptional measure because of chester City are the one Eng- attended the UEFA Nations the health crisis, all matches lish representative involved in League finals in Porto and from the quarter-finals on- the ‘Final Eight’. Guimaraes in the north of the wards of the world’s rich- country last year. est and most glamorous club ‘No exception’ to However, restrictions are competition are being played restrictions currently in place around the as one-off ties in the same city. Daniel Sa of IPAM told country as part of efforts to They are all taking place AFP that more than 5,000 stop the spread of coronavirus. behind closed doors and with people could gather in the Those restrictions are es- strict health guidelines in city for the final, which is pecially strict in and around place as Europe faces a steady scheduled for August 23 at Lisbon, where cases of COV- rise in cases of COVID-19. Benfica’s Estadio da Luz, ID-19 have been most preva- Yet that has not stopped where the players’ voices lent since Portugal came out of some fans from making the trip will echo around the empty lockdown in May. to the banks of the River Tagus 65,000-capacity venue. That includes a ban on to take in the atmosphere. However, Sa described gatherings of more than 10 “This is the most impor- that as a “conservative” esti- people, compared to 20 people tant match of our season,” An- mate and believes the final fig- in the rest of the country. drea, a 27-year-old Atalanta ure will be higher thanks to the Alcohol consumption fan from Bergamo who has “improvement of the health in public is banned, while come for his team’s quarter- situation in Lisbon in recent shops and cafes must close final against Paris Saint-Ger- weeks or the increase in the at 8pm , the time Champions main, tells AFP. Football fans take pictures next to the Eusebio statue in front of Luz stadium in Lisbon, Portugal, on Tuesday. (AFP) number of flights to Lisbon”. League ‘Final Eight’ matches He is in Lisbon with two On the basis of regular will kick off. friends. With spectators The city seems empty and the Lisbon “by chance”, on holiday shirt, “but people have chant- not given an estimation of the briefings with police in the “The sporting context will barred, they plan to watch bars close early,” he said. with his parents. ed ‘Come on Paris’ at me in the number of foreign fans who clubs’ home countries, Portu- not allow for an exception to the match in a bar near the Meanwhile, 16-year-old “I don’t see any Champi- street. I think there are sup- could come to the capital but guese authorities are not ex- the rules in place,” warned stadium. Paris Saint-Germain support- ons League atmosphere,” he porters here.” officers will make themselves pecting any organised trips by Pereira, of the Lisbon police “The atmosphere is bizarre. er Mathieu finds himself in says, wearing a PSG replica Portuguese police have “highly visible” on the streets, groups of supporters. force, on Tuesday.

UEFA Champions League quarter-finals guide ‘Courage to dare’ Atalanta shoulder Italian hopes What to expect in each tie in the ‘Final Eight’: from a city of about 100,000 people and not the big team of a going 11 games unbeaten since La Liga’s capital. But we know where we return to seal third place. In total, they are are going and what we want. undefeated in 18 matches dating back to the “We’ve learned along the start of February. way, from the first match in the RB Leipzig are appearing in the Cham- Champions League, when we pions League knockout phase for the first conceded four against Dinamo time, but the club’s ambitions suffered a Zagreb. We raised the level and substantial blow following the sale of top now they’re asking us for the scorer to Chelsea. Champions League. Achieving The Germans swept 2019 runners-up Tot- this goal is priceless.” tenham aside in the previous round although coach must now find a ‘Beyond optimism’ way to replace the 34-goal void left behind Atalanta’s transformation into by Werner. Italian title contenders, with two third-place finishes in as many Barcelona v Bayern (Estadio da Luz, Friday seasons, has been overseen by 10pm Doha time) ski the club’s billionaire owner An- These are the only dow an w tonio Percassi, who played as a two former European e L defender for the club. Paris Saint-Germain’s forward Neymar. (AFP) champions left in t r e The 67-year-old took over the competition, b o

as president in 2010 and work- Atalanta v PSG (Estadio da Luz, Wednesday with five titles R ing with his two sons he has 10pm Doha time) each, making lifted the club to new heights. On paper, Paris Saint-Germain should beat this the tie of the Atalanta’s Italian goalkeeper Marco Sportiello (centre) warms up with teammates at the Luz stadium in “It was not easy, but the Atalanta. After all, Neymar’s annual salary of round. Lisbon on Tuesday, on the eve of UEFA Champions League quarter-final clash against PSG.(AFP) last three years have gone be- around 36 million euros ($42.5m) is believed to Barcelona beat yond the most optimistic fore- be equivalent to Atalanta’s entire wage bill. Bayern when the sides AFP competitions, including five in lanta’s strength has been the casts,” said Percassi. However, PSG have yet to convince at the last met in the semi-finals Milan the Champions League. number of players who have “It’s our story, that of the business end of the Champions League since in 2015, but this time a repeat “We miss Ilicic very much,” contributed to their all-com- entire ‘Atalantina’ family.” the Qatari takeover of the club nearly a decade of the outcome when the teams clashed in the Atalanta take on Paris said coach Gian Piero Gasp- petitions tally of 118 goals. Italy coach Roberto Man- ago and have not been beyond the quarter- 2013 semis somehow seems more likely. Saint-Germain in the Cham- erini. “It was his season. Until Colombians Duvan Zapata cini believes Atalanta have finals in that time. Then Bayern ran riot, winning 7-0 on aggre- pions League quarter-finals on February, he was the most deci- and have scored 19 transformed the Italian game. Indeed, they had not won a knock-out tie in gate. They come to Lisbon fresh from complet- Wednesday with the tourna- sive player in our forward line.” each in total, with Mario Pasal- “They have a modern spir- four years before eliminating Borussia Dort- ing a German league and cup double and having ment debutants the surprise The 32-year-old Slovenian ic netting 11, mercurial Papu it and principles – courage to mund in the last 16 in March, just before the won their last 18 games in a row. standard bearers for Italian was on form until the coro- Gomez eight and Ruslan Ma- dare, attacking style, search coronavirus pandemic forced football around In Robert Lewandowski they have Europe’s football in Lisbon. navirus engulfed Italy and in linovskyi nine. for dominance beyond the re- the world to stop. most fearsome striker -- he has scored 53 goals champions Juven- particular the team’s home And the unpredictable na- sult,” Mancini told Gazzetta They also have major selection issues here, this season, including 13 in the Champions tus and Napoli were felled in the city Bergamo, where at one ture of the season has given Dello Sport. with midfield maestro Marco Verratti injured, An- League, more than anyone else. last 16, leaving Atalanta to carry point the army was called in to ‘La Dea’ (The Goddess) reason “The top clubs in Europe gel Di Maria suspended and Kylian Mbappe not Barcelona of course have Lionel Messi, the nation’s hopes of a first ma- take away coffins because local to dream despite the club hav- all play with this mentality, but expected to start because of an ankle problem. whose own tally of 31 goals is not bad. jor European trophy since Inter morgues could not cope with ing won just one major trophy, things are changing in Italy That piles more pressure on Neymar, while The Argentine is 33 now yet still the best Milan’s 2010 triumph. the number of virus deaths. the 1963 Italian Cup, in its 112- too, many coaches are more Atalanta come with the pressure off and the player on the planet. But questions remain PSG will not have superstar Illcic was overwhelmed year history. daring today, also thanks to determination to win for their home city of about the quality of those around him, and Kylian Mbappe available, but by personal and psychologi- “Atalanta belongs to the Atalanta. They have shown Bergamo, which suffered the full devastating coach Quique Setien is under huge pressure Atalanta look set to be with- cal difficulties and has been city and you feel part of this,” that a certain type of football, impact of the coronavirus more than just about after the Catalans lost out to Real Madrid for out top scorer Josip Ilicic, who sidelined for the team’s final said captain Gomez. as well as being beautiful, anywhere in Europe. the Spanish title. found the net 21 times in all games of the season. But Ata- “We know we’re a team reaps results.” This is their first ever Champions League campaign, but they have just finished third in Man City v Lyon (Estadio Jose Alvalade, Serie A for the second year running and scored Saturday 10pm Doha time) a remarkable 98 goals in their 38 matches. Pep Guardiola is looking to la Colombian duo Duvan Zapata and Luis dio end a near decade-long ar Muriel scored 18 each, but Josip Ilicic has u wait for another Cham- G Leipzig boss Nagelsmann eager to avoid been their main threat in Europe -- he scored all p pions League title e four goals when Atalanta won 4-3 at Valencia P after getting the in March to eliminate the Spaniards 8-4 on better of Zinedine clashing with ‘dynamite’ Simeone aggregate. Zidane and Real Ilicic will miss the tie though after travelling Madrid last week. AFP mann is aware that his duel “He wants to be successful. back home to Slovenia for personal reasons. City’s best Lisbon with Simeone will be even more That’s what sets him apart” said performance in the intensely scrutinised. Nagelsmann. RB Leipzig v Atletico (Estadio Jose Alvalade, competition remains RB Leipzig coach Julian Nagels- “Now without spectators, Atletico are hoping to fi- Thursday 10pm Doha time) a run to the semi-finals mann wants to keep cool in you will be able to hear even nally prevail in the Champions ne Runners-up in 2014 in 2016, but the Premier Lisbon should sparks start to more that he is always pointing League final at the third attempt eo and 2016, Diego League side are among the chief contenders to im S fly with “dynamite” Atletico things out, discussing a lot with after losing to Real Madrid in o Simeone’s Atletico lift the trophy on August 23. g Madrid coach Diego Simeone the referee and demanding the both 2014 and 2016. ie Madrid are target- City will be well aware of the dangers posed during Thursday’s Champions use of cards,” said Nagelsmann. They have also won the Eu- D ing a third final in by Lyon, who took four points off them in last League quarter-final. His Leipzig players are ropa League twice under Sime- seven seasons season’s group stage. Striker Sergio Aguero is Both Nagelsmann, 32, and aware that things could get one in 2012 and 2018. having dumped unlikely to play again this term due to a knee Atletico’s Argentinian boss heated. “I’m curious to see how “My colleague,” Nagels- out holders Liver- injury although Gabriel Jesus has scored five Simeone, 50, are notorious for Leipzig coach things will work out with Julian mann told Goal.com in refer- pool in a last-16 times in his past seven games in the Argen- passionately urging their team and Diego Simeone,” Leipzig ence to Simeone, “must have an tie completed in tine’s absence. on from the sidelines. Austrian energy drinks giants defender Marcel Halstenberg extraordinary gift. March. Lyon are pinning their hopes of returning to Nagelsmann wants to avoid Red Bull, were only founded in told Sportbuzzer. “I believe that 99 per cent Atletico’s prepara- Europe next season on winning the Champions falling “under the spell” of any 2009 and are in the knock-out “They are both very emo- of coaches who would always tions for Lisbon hit a snag when League after a miserable and truncated domes- heated emotions during the phase of the Champions League tional blokes.” play 4-4-2 in such an aggressive two players, Angel Correa and Sime Vrsaljko, tic campaign in which they ended seventh. game in Lisbon, “but will con- for the first time having beaten Certainly, Nagelsmann has fashion would be burned out af- tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend However, the long lay-off has allowed key centrate on the (match) con- last season’s finalists Totten- lots of respect for Simeone ter two years, but not him.” and were quarantined. However, no further man Memphis Depay to return from a torn tent, on the team”. ham in the last 16. who has repeatedly steered Simeone “runs around like cases were detected following another round of cruciate knee ligament, and it was his penalty “You’re better off doing that Without the crowd mask- Atletico to Champions League dynamite and still gets great testing ahead of the team’s flight to Portugal. which saw Lyon eliminate Cristiano Ronaldo and than getting into an in-fight.” ing any pitchside noise at the success after nearly a decade feedback from his players”, add- Atletico finished the season strongly, Juventus on away goals. (AFP) Leipzig, who are backed by Estadio Jose Alvalade Nagels- in Madrid. ed Nagelsmann in admiration.