Manchester City vs. Real Madrid UCL match faces venue change as UK imposes new quarantine rules

The second leg of the round-of-16 clash was originally meant to be played at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester.

After initially getting the green light to host the home leg of their round-of-16 UEFA Champions League clash against Real Madrid CF, it looks like Manchester City might need to settle for another venue. Due to a new wave of rising coronavirus cases in Spain, travellers from the country are being required to undergo a mandatory 14-day quarantine period upon arriving in the United Kingdom. As such, UEFA might be forced to move the match to a venue that has fewer logistical restrictions.

As it stands, Manchester City holds a 2-1 advantage over Real Madrid. The first leg was played back in February, ahead of the scheduling crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic. Estadio Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid hosted the first leg, and Manchester City has been looking forward to hosting the Spanish giants at the Etihad Stadium for their home game.

The match is scheduled to be played on August 7th, with the eventual winner travelling to Lisbon, Portugal to compete in the reformatted single-leg quarterfinals. According to BeSoccer, the UK government will have to make a decision about the possibility of granting an exception to the Real Madrid squad. If this doesn't happen, it will be up to UEFA to make a decision.

The most plausible solution is to play the match at a neutral venue. In this case, the focus will shift back to Portugal, which had initially been proposed to host all the remaining Champions League matches this season anyway.

Two weeks ago, those that have not completed their round-of-16 matches were allowed to play in the original venues. However, the recent developments regarding the coronavirus situation is making things complicated. In fact, it isn't just the Manchester City vs. Real Madrid clash that is facing doubts.

SSC Napoli manager Gennaro Gattuso has expressed hesitation about travelling to Barcelona due to the rising cases in Catalunya. FC Barcelona and Napoli are tied 1-1 after the first leg. The second leg was originally scheduled to be hosted at the Camp Nou.