The Champions League returns

Sports’ betting fans are in for some top-tier football action as the long-awaited UEFA Champions League resumes on Friday, 7 August. The 2019/2020 Champions League will give punters ample opportunity to make their top picks as weekly games continue, following the league’s abrupt halt in March. This year’s Champions League quarter-finals, semi-finals and final will be hosted in Lisbon, Portugal throughout August – so it’s best to start checking those sporting fixtures now before placing your wagers with Sportingbet – SA’s Largest Sportsbook!

What is the Champions League?

If you’re new to the football scene, then the UEFA Champions League is a good place to start. This annual football tournament is considered Europe’s premier league club competition, involving 32 top tier teams of which compete in five rounds for the coveted title.

What has been changed this year?

The 2019/2020 season was halted on 11 March this year, before the conclusion of the round of 16 matches. When the league resumes in August, the remainder of these games will be played, after which the competition will be played as a straight knockout tournament in Lisbon Portugal. All the games will be played at Benfica’s Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica (hosting the final) and Sporting CP’s Estdio José Alvalade.

For the remainder of the 2019/2020 season, all teams will be permitted to register three new players on their A List, provided the chosen players were registered and eligible for their club at the last registration deadline – 3 February 2020. Clubs cannot register newly-transferred players, however. Another temporary change to the Laws of the Game will allow five substitutions, instead of three, in the remaining matches.

What are some of the precautionary measures?

Strict health and safety measures will continue to be implemented. This will ensure players and management teams are kept safe during the ongoing pandemic. Some of the changes football fans can expect are:

• Empty stadiums (although fan recordings are played to create some atmosphere).
• Non-contact play with fewer dramatic falls and less contact during goal celebrations, and even playing surfaces will be disinfected after each training session.
• Masks are worn off the pitch and substitutes will sit two metres apart for social distancing.

2019/20 UEFA Champions League revised schedule

• Friday, 7 to Saturday, 8 August: Round of 16 matches continues
• Wednesday, 12 to Saturday, 15 August: Quarter-finals
• Tuesday, 18 to Wednesday, 19 August: Semi-finals
• Sunday, 23 August: Final

*All fixtures will kick off 9pm.

Who is still in the fight?

Before the suspension of play in March, four clubs had qualified for the Champions League quarter-finals. These are:

1. Atalanta
2. Atlético Madrid
3. RB Leipzig
4. Paris Saint-Germain

They will be joined by the four winners from the remaining rounds of 16 matches. The teams set to compete are:

• FC Bayern – Chelsea
• Juventus – Lyon
• Manchester City – Real Madrid
• Barcelona – Napoli

What about betting online?

Online platforms like Sportingbet give you a way to enhance the thrill of the matches, with the added excitement of betting on your favourite team. Using either a computer or your phone by way of the Sportingbet Mobile App, you’re able to place a bet, quickly and easily. This will bring you that much closer to the football action – while maintaining the appropriate social distancing!

Offering some of the best football odds, Sportingbet allow you to choose whatever type of bet you prefer – whether it’s the straight-forward single or multi-bets; or the special bets such as correct score, first team to score or double chance. There is also the very popular Live Betting option offering bettors the exhilaration of wagering as the action happenings live-in-play!

Sportingbet also has some attractive product features, in particular their CASH OUT option allows bettors to cash their money out even if your bet does not seem to be going your way, giving punters that extra bit of flexibility when managing their bets.

Get in the game with Sportingbet’s best football league bets by downloading the Sportingbet App or visiting www.sportingbet.co.za

Register today and Sportingbet will double your first deposit up to the value of R2000, giving you more bank to bet on your favourite sports!

About Sportingbet South Africa

Launched in 2009, Sportingbet South Africa is the country’s leading online sportsbook offering the biggest sports’ betting line-up. The site offers 8 000 different betting opportunities across more than 30 different sporting codes and current events daily, covering all major tournaments, league games and minor clashes. Sportingbet South Africa also offers live betting across more than 300 markets on a single game through its unique Live Betting platform, available 24 hours a day. Sportingbet South Africa is licensed to accept bets via electronic media locally under the sports’ betting licence held by the Western Cape Gambling & Racing Board.