Bundesliga grinds to a halt
Despite initial plans for Game Week 26 of the German Bundesliga to go ahead, officials decided to postpone matches until early April as a result of Coronavirus which continues to sweep across the globe. Elite Bayern Munich midfielder Thiago was one of the most vocal players in world football this week, publicising his opinion on social media that the league should be suspended. Matches hope to resume after a two-week hiatus, but until the spread of the Covid-19 virus is under control, that is far from certain.
Football grinds to a halt. Photo: Janosch Diggelmann via Unsplash
In Europe During the week, Borussia Dortmund were unable to convert their 2-1 first leg lead into a quarter-final berth, as a resurgent PSG side proved too good for the Bundesliga title-challengers in an empty Parc-des-Paris. A header from Neymar and a deflected Bernat cross were enough to secure the French Champions a place in the last eight. Controversy followed as PSG mimicked the celebration of young BVB striker Erling Haaland after the game, who had a quiet night despite his red-hot start to life in Germany. RB Leipzig eased to a comfortable win over Tottenham in their Round of 16 clash, winning 3-0 on the night and 4-0 on aggregate. In the Europa League, Bayer Leverkusen enjoyed a successful visit to Scotland as they beat Rangers 3-1, with Leon Bailey scoring the pick of the goals in the 88th minute. Wolfsburg hosted Shakhtar Donetsk, but it was the Ukrainian side who left Germany with a 2-1 advantage. Both the Champions League and the Europa League have now been indefinitely postponed. Other Sport Ice Hockey fixtures in Germany have also been delayed, whilst the American Football season, which is due to begin in May, also faces postponement and rescheduling. Fingers crossed that the season can still go ahead in some form.