Arsenal have a break from the Premier League title race this week as attention turns to the Champions League. Having climbed back to the top of the table, the Gunners are now in Champions League quarter-final action as they take on German giants Bayern Munich over a two-legged tie.
The first of those two games takes place at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night (8pm kick-off). The second leg will be played just over a week later at the Allianz Arena.
If Arsenal overcome Bayern Munich, then they will face either Real Madrid or Manchester City in the semi-final, with the first leg at the end of this month. One feature of Champions League ties throughout the years has been the away goals rule.
The system was applied when the aggregate scores were level after both legs. As per the rule, the team that scored the highest number of away goals went through to the next stage.
If the two teams were level, then extra time and maybe even a penalty shootout would be used. There has, however, been a different rule over the last couple of seasons.
Here is everything you need to know about the away goal rule and if it will be in operation.
Will the away goals rule be used in Arsenal vs Bayern Munich?
No, the away goals rule hasn’t been used in any UEFA club competition since the start of the 2021/22 season. It, therefore, won’t be used in Arsenal’s quarter-final tie against Bayern Munich.
What happens if the score is level after both legs?
Without the away goals rule, if the aggregate score over both legs is level, then extra time will be played. If the two teams still can’t be separated after the extra half hour, then a penalty shootout will be used to determine who makes it to the semi-final.
Why was the rule scrapped?
According to UEFA a decline in the home advantage from the 1970s ‘blurred the lines’ between playing at home and away. It was concluded that the rule only caused home teams to defend in the first leg in fear of conceding a crucial away goal.
UEFA president Alexander Ceferin has said: “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.
“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.”
