Sevilla vs Roma
Sevilla
Then (pre-lockdown): 3rd in La Liga
Now: 4th in La Liga*
Julen Lopetegui praised his players who “came back in really good shape and were ready to compete”. They are 11 games unbeaten since the restart, conceding just five goals, though a series of draws dented hopes of a first top-three finish since 2008/09. Los Palanganas finished level with Atlético on 70 points, but were pipped to third place on goal difference.
Roma
Then: 5th in Serie A
Now: 5th in Serie A
With two Serie A games remaining, La Lupa are clinging onto fifth, fending off AC Milan and Napoli. Paulo Fonseca says his “team is doing well and is full of confidence”, and they are certainly in strong goalscoring form; Jordan Veretout has converted four since lockdown, while Edin Džeko and Henrikh Mkhitaryan have three apiece.
Manchester United vs LASK (first leg: 5-0)
Manchester United
Then: 5th in Premier League
Now: 3rd in Premier League*
Bruno Fernandes’ creative injection and Paul Pogba’s return sparked United’s nine-game unbeaten league run since the resumption. Spearheaded by Marcus Rashford, United’s front three combined to register 14 goals; young gun Mason Greenwood bagging five and Antony Martial six. Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s side beat Leicester on the final day to secure third and a Champions League spot.
LASK
Then: 2nd in Austrian Bundesliga
Now: 4th in Austrian Bundesliga*
Parting ways with Valérien Ismaël after six losses in their final ten matches, the Linz outfit have appointed former Austrian women’s national team coach Dominik Thalhammer. LASK “performed incredibly well last year,” he said ahead of his first competitive game in charge against United.
Copenhagen vs İstanbul Başakşehir (first leg: 0-1)
Copenhagen
Then: 2nd in Danish Super League
Now: 2nd in Danish Super League*
Off to a flying start – unbeaten in four – the 2019 Denmark champions’ form plummeted as they went six without a win. However, coach Ståle Solbakken’s “long and difficult season” culminated in back-to-back wins – thanks to Dame N’Doye’s last-gasp strike against Nordsjælland – that sealed the runners-up spot.
İstanbul Başakşehir
Then: 2nd in Turkish Super League
Now: Turkish Super League champions*
Joint top with Trabzonspor at the break, Okan Buruk’s men were crowned Turkish champions for the first time. Ending Galatasaray, Beşiktaş and Fenerbahçe’s stronghold, they became only the sixth team to win the Turkish title. Mahmut Tekdemir and Demba Ba proved key for the owls, and Edin Višća impressed with six goals in their final eight games.
Wolves vs Olympiacos (first leg: 1-1)
Wolves
Then: 6th in Premier League
Now: 7th in Premier League*
Suffering just three defeats in their final nine matches, sturdy at the back and with Rui Patrício between the sticks, Nuno Espírito Santo’s charges kept five clean sheets. Striker Raúl Jiménez resumed his reliable form at the other end, converting four to bring his season tally to 17.
Olympiacos
Then: 1st in Greek Super League
Now: Greek Super League champions*
League leaders at the break, a play-off round featuring the top six clubs decided the 19/20 season’s outcome. Leaving title chasers PAOK for dust and claiming the trophy by an 18-point margin, Olympiacos won eight of the ten play-off ties (D1 L1). Scheduled for 30 August, AEK Athens await Pedro Martins’ side in the Greek Cup final, Mady Camara’s late semi-final goal in June ensuring their spot.
Leverkusen vs Rangers (first leg: 3-1)
Leverkusen
Then: 5th in Bundesliga
Now: 5th in Bundesliga*
Die Werkself’s season concluded at the mercy of the clinical Bayern in a 4-2 DFB Cup final defeat. Talisman Kai Havertz proved a ray of hope, scoring six league goals, in an otherwise indifferent restart for Peter Bosz’s side (W5 L3 D1).
Rangers
Then: 2nd in Scottish Premiership
Now: 2nd in Scottish Premiership*
Finishing 13 points adrift off top-spot rivals Celtic, the Gers will head to Aberdeen in their first competitive match in over four months on 1 August. Despite the new Scottish season getting under way, manager Steven Gerrard spoke of the inevitable “strangeness” ahead of the last 16 second leg.
The Scottish Professional Football League announced on 18 May 2020 that the decision had been made to conclude the season with “final season placings have been determined by points-per-game in league matches played to 13 March 2020 by each club.”
Shakhtar Donetsk vs Wolfsburg (first leg: 2-1)
Shakhtar Donetsk
Then: 1st in Ukrainian Premier League
Now: Ukrainian Premier League champions*
Shakhtar celebrated their 13th title winning the top tier by a 14-point margin. In a flawless resumption, the Miners earned seven wins and two draws in their nine remaining fixtures, though midfielder Manor Solomon asserted that it was no “walk in the park.”
Wolfsburg
Then: 7th in Bundesliga
Now: 7th in Bundesliga*
On the end of a 4-0 Bayern thumping in their final fixture and a mixed bag of results (W4 L4 D1), Die Wölfe clutched the seventh spot. Having had nearly four weeks off, Wolfsburg plan to blow away the cobwebs with a friendly against Leipzig on 30 July.
Basel vs Eintracht Frankfurt (first leg: 3-0)
Basel
Then: 3rd in Swiss Super League
Now: 3rd in Swiss Super League
A quarter-final cup win against Lausanne kick-started Basel’s campaign, but ten points from the top and with only two games remaining, the RotBlau can only hope to edge past St. Gallen into second. With only three losses in their last 12 matches, and Arthur Cabral (10) and Kemal Ademi (5) and Samuele Campo (4) amongst the goals, it’s well within reach.
Eintracht Frankfurt
Then: 11th in Bundesliga
Now: 9th in Bundesliga*
Despite opening defeats (3-1 Mönchengladbach, 5-2 Bayern), and shipping a further three goals in the 3-3 draw with Freiburg, Adi Hütter’s side still managed to clamber two places higher up the table. With obvious concerns in defence, Eintracht’s strike force showed up. With just four goals before the break, André Silva increased his tally by eight, and Bas Dost found his form, putting away four in their final five matches.
Inter vs Getafe
Inter
Then: 3rd in Serie A
Now: 2nd in Serie A
Coach Antonio Conte praised his team “doing some very good things” following their 3-0 away success at Genoa, which nudged the Nerazzurri into second. Netting twice, Romelu Lukaku has continued to make his mark on the season, scoring six in Serie A since the break to take his overall tally to 29 in all competitions.
Getafe
Then: 4th in La Liga
Now: 8th in La Liga*
A sole victory in their “terribly stressful” final 11 games – collecting only eight points and scoring six goals – José Bordalás’ floundering side, who were challenging for the top four, slipped down the table. At the season’s conclusion, “now you have to disconnect a few days to get back to work with a clean mind,” said the coach.
