UEFA Europa League: Arsenal set to host Benfica in Greece

The second leg game will be played at the stadium of Olympiacos on February 25, one week after Benfica's home match takes place at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

UEFA previously said the away goals rule will apply even though neither Arsenal (in pic) nor Benfica has home advantage (File Photo).

Arsenal will host Benfica in the Europa League in Greece because of travel restrictions affecting English clubs amid the coronavirus pandemic, the UEFA said on Friday.

The second leg game in the round of 32 will be played at the home stadium of Olympiacos in Piraeus on February 25, one week after Benfica's “home” match takes place at Stadio Olimpico in Rome.

UEFA previously said that the away goals rule will apply even though neither Arsenal nor Benfica has home advantage.

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Both neutral venues were already being prepared for use in the Europa League. Olympiacos hosts PSV Eindhoven next week and Roma hosts Braga on February 25.

English clubs cannot travel to some European countries, with an aggressively transmissible COVID-19 variant originating in Great Britain spreading.

Liverpool and Manchester City are barred from entering Germany so they will go to Budapest in Hungary for Champions League games against RB Leipzig and Borussia Mönchengladbach, respectively. Chelsea is going to Bucharest in Romania to face Atlético Madrid.

Manchester United will go to Juventus' stadium in Turin to play Real Sociedad in the Europa League next week. Tottenham is set to travel to Austria where it is scheduled to face Wolfsberger.

Arsenal is the only Premier League club confirmed so far to play its home game outside England.