Liverpool face playing Champions League home tie with Leipzig at neutral venue

Liverpool may have to play both legs of their Champions League last-16 tie with RB Leipzig at neutral venues.

The Reds are heading to Budapest for the first leg of their tie with the Bundesliga side next Tuesday, with German travel restrictions on countries with coronavirus variants making it impossible for Leipzig to host.

But now the venue for the second leg at Anfield on March 10 has also come into question because of strict German quarantine laws.

With no exemptions to elite sports teams offered, local authorities would asked Leipzig players to quarantine for 10 days upon their return from the fixture on Merseyside, placing strains on their Bundesliga fixture programme.

The rules that are currently in place in Germany are set to be reviewed on March 5, giving hope that the game could be played at Anfield five days later.

But with such uncertainty surrounding the fixture, the Reds are already looking into neutral venues to stage the match.

UEFA have a list of preferred alternative venues for matches that are forced to be switched, from which Budapest's Puskas Stadium was picked for the first leg.

European football's governing body said: “UEFA is in touch with the respective clubs, the English Football Association and the German Football Association.”

Manchester City will also travel to Budapest for their last-16, first leg tie with Borussia Moenchengladbach on February 24.

City could also be forced to move their home leg from the Etihad Stadium due to the quarantine laws.

In the Europa League, Manchester United's match at Real Sociedad is taking place in Turin, while Arsenal are facing Benfica in Rome.

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