While most European leagues were stopped due to the coronavirus, there are a few that still play behind closed doors.
In Turkey and Ukraine, teams are trying to get used to the new situation of the COVID-19 era. The decision to play in front of empty stands in these countries can change quickly, as they are waiting for updates from the UEFA conference on Tuesday.
Turkish Süper Lig
Nothing has been settled in the Turkish title race. The three league leaders have played today, as league leader Trabzonspor have played against second-placed İstanbul Başakşehir. Not everyone was happy with the decision to play the game. Trabzonspor's John Obi Mikel has expressed that he doesn't feel comfortable to play football in these times. The Nigerian was on the bench and didn't take part in the match.
Başakşehir thought it would be possible to climb to the top of the league when Demba Ba scored in the 56th minute. The lead didn't last long as Martin Škrtel scored an own goal in the 63rd minute. Both teams can feel disappointed, as the title race tightens up.
Obi Mikel got support from Galatasaray's Colombian striker, Radamel Falcao. Unlike Obi Mikel, Falcao was in the lineup for the derby against Beşiktaş. For Galatasaray it was a great chance to catch up to the leaders, while Beşiktaş only hoped to get closer to the continental competitions berth. Both teams didn't find the net, and the match ended in a goalless draw.
Ukrainian Premier League
After the regular season ended, the championship round was kicked off today in front of empty stands. The opening was quite surprising, as both leading clubs failed to win.
Shakhtar Donetsk played first, as they traveled to Zaporizhia for an away match against Zorya Luhansk. Both Shakhtar and Zorya are used to play without massive support, as they both host away from home since 2014 due to the ongoing conflict with Russia. After 84 minutes, Zorya found the net with a goal by Bohdan Mykhaylychenko. The hosts maintained the lead and won 1-0.
Dynamo Kyiv had a chance to close the gap at the top of the table. They played in the Olimpiyskiy against Desna. Nazariy Rusyn, who returned to Dynamo Kyiv during the winter transfer window, scored in the 69th minute. Desna didn't give up and scored the equalizer when Oleksandr Filippov has netted in the 80th minute. Dynamo Kyiv missed an opportunity and finished the match with a 1-1 draw.
Shakhtar Donetsk is still leading the table, 13 points ahead of Dynamo. If things wouldn't change in Ukraine, they will play head to head next week, as Shakhtar will be the home side.
Tomorrow's main events (hours in CET)
03:15 - Club America – Cruz Azul (Mexican Liga MX)
18:00 - Antalyaspor – Sivasspor (Turkish Süper Lig)