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Wales Online
Wales Online
Sport
Jon Doel

Does the away goals rule count in the Champions League knockouts?

The away goals rule no longer counts in Champions League matches after it was ditched in 2021.

The rule, which effectively meant goals scored in the away leg of a two-match knockout tie were worth double, had been in place since 1965, but was discarded ahead of the 20221/2022 season by UEFA.

It means if teams are level on goals after 90 minutes, matches go into 30 minutes of extra time. And if that's not enough to decide a winner, the teams go to a penalty shootout to determine a victor.

Speaking about the decision to abolish the away goals rule, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said the decision to axe it centered on "fairness", with away matches less arduous in terms of travel on the modern era and away wins almost doubling since the 1970s.

Modern travel and advances in player recovery has made away games less arduous, and away wins have almost doubled in occurrence since the 1970s.

Ceferin said: "Although there was no unanimity of views, many coaches, fans and other football stakeholders have questioned its fairness and have expressed a preference for the rule to be abolished.

"The impact of the rule now runs counter to its original purpose as, in fact, it now dissuades home teams – especially in first legs – from attacking, because they fear conceding a goal that would give their opponents a crucial advantage.

"There is also criticism of the unfairness, especially in extra time, of obliging the home team to score twice when the away team has scored."

Ceferin added: "It is fair to say that home advantage is nowadays no longer as significant as it once was.

"Taking into consideration the consistency across Europe in terms of styles of play, and many different factors which have led to a decline in home advantage, the UEFA Executive Committee has taken the correct decision in adopting the view that it is no longer appropriate for an away goal to carry more weight than one scored at home."

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