Cologne and Duesseldorf prepare to host the Europa League

VIDEO SHOWS: AERIALS AND EXTERIORS OF THE COLOGNE STADIUM AND DUESSELDORF ARENA WHICH ARE TWO OF THE FOUR STADIUMS TO HOST EUROPA LEAGUE MATCHES, VIEWS OF COLOGNE AND DUESSELDORF

SHOWS:

COLOGNE, GERMANY (AUGUST 6, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

1. (MUTE) DRONE VIEW OF COLOGNE STADIUM

2. ENTRANCE WITH SIGNS, READING: "RHEIN-ENERGIE STADION"

3. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF STADIUM

4. STADIUM SEATING SEEN FROM OUTSIDE THE GROUND

5. VARIOUS OF TOWERS OF COLOGNE CATHEDRAL

6. (MUTE) DRONE VIEW OF COLOGNE STADIUM

DUESSELDORF, GERMANY (AUGUST 6, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL)

7. VARIOUS EXTERIORS OF DUESSELDORF ARENA

8. VARIOUS VIEWS OF CITY WITH DUESSELDORF TELEVISION TOWER AND RIVER RHEIN

STORY: German cities in the Ruhr area are gearing up to host the first two Europa League quarter-finals on Monday (August 10).

Cologne will stage match between Manchester United and Copenhagen while Duesseldorf will host Inter Milan v Bayer Leverkusen. Both matches kickoff at 1900GMT.

The Cologne Stadium and Duesselforf Arena are also the venues for a semi-finals on August 16 and 17 respectively with Cologne hosting the final on August 21.

Gelsenkirchen and Duisburg will host the remaining quarter-finals on Tuesday (August 11). Shakhtar Donetsk face Basel at the Arena AufSchalke in Gelsenkirchen while Wolverhampton Wanderers play Sevilla at the MSV Arena in Duisburg.

The eight-team mini tournament is being played in Germany due to the COVID-19 pandemic which forced most sport to be suspended in March. The revamped tournament will be played behind closed doors.

A similar format is being used for the Champions League and Women's Champions League. The men's tournament will be played in Lisbon from August 12-23 while the women's competition will be staged in the Spanish cities of San Sebastian and Bilbao from August 21-30.

(Production: Stephane Nitschke, Ute Swart)