Champions League Match Between Bayern and Barcelona To Be Held Behind Closed Doors

The Champions League match between Bayern Munich and Barcelona will be held under different conditions with the teams facing each other behind closed doors on 8 December.

The reason behind the change is due to the alarming rates of coronavirus infections that have risen in Bavaria. The country’s minister-president, Markus Soder said earlier this week he was planning such a move, saying “football has a great role-model function”.

Markus Söder said Bavaria will bar fans from sports events starting Saturday. German federal and state leaders agreed on a maximum attendance limit of 15,000 on Thursday but states are allowed to set stricter rules if they wish.

“It hits us very hard that we have to play in front of empty stands in the Allianz Arena again,” Bayern executive vice-chairman Jan-Christian Dreesen said. “Without our fans in the stadium, soccer is only half as beautiful, to say nothing of the financial consequences.”

Bayern Munich qualified for the knockout stages as Group E winners, with Barcelona and Benfica battling it out for the second spot in the last 16. Barca will progress once they win, however, if the match ends in a draw or defeat it would open a way for Benfica to the knockout stages.

Bayern Munich and Barcelona match to be held behind closed doors

Bavaria is reported to have had some of Germany’s highest coronavirus infection rates in recent weeks, which is why the eastern state of Saxony has already mandated empty stadiums for games last month.

The southwestern state of Baden-Württemberg has set a limit of 750 spectators, affecting Freiburg, Stuttgart and Hoffenheim. But there will be 15,000 allowed when Borussia Dortmund hosts Bayern Munich for the “Klassiker” on Saturday according to reports by The News Tribune.

Barcelona lost 3-0 in their meeting with Bayern at the Nou Camp in September, and their last visit to Allianz Arena was a 3-2 semi-final second-leg defeat in March 2015.

However, Barcelona progressed to the final courtesy of their 3-0 first-leg win and went on to beat Juventus in the final to land their fifth and most recent Champions League title.

Also read: Cristiano Ronaldo Is Now The Top-Joint Goal Scorer In Football History

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