The UEFA, on Sunday, announced that Liverpool’s Champions League last 16 away tie against RB Leipzig has been shifted to the Puskas Arena in Budapest. Europe’s football governing body said that this decision was taken as coronavirus restrictions bar the Premier League club to travel to Germany. 

The February 16 first leg “will now take place at Puskas Arena in Budapest,” European football’s governing body confirmed in a statement.

UEFA’s statement thanked the two clubs “for their close cooperation and assistance in finding a solution to the issue at hand, as well as the Hungarian Football Federation for their support and agreeing to host the match in question.”

Confirmation of Budapest as hosts ended any doubt about the tie taking place after the imposition of strict entry rules in Germany to combat the spread of the pandemic.

UEFA’s regulations stipulated that the home side must find a way of hosting the match or risk forfeiting it as a 3-0 defeat.

The decision from the German authorities on travel bans also places a question mark over another Champions League last-16 match, as Borussia Moenchengladbach host Manchester City on February 24.

Introduced a week ago the new rules, slated to last until the day after the Liverpool game, ban travellers from countries hit by new, more contagious Covid-19 variants such as Britain.

Budapest was chosen as a neutral venue after Bundesliga side Leipzig’s request for a travel exemption for their English rivals was turned down by the German government.