11/05/24
June 24, 2021
UEFA Drops Away Goals as Knockout Tiebreaker: After 56 years, UEFA club competitions will stop using away goals as the tiebreaker when teams are level on aggregate after the home and away matches. There will now be extra time and penalties.
The big clubs are loaded with talent they wouldn't even be playing without the heavy schedule.
Perhaps I'm biased because my club doesn't even have enough players for one squad, much less two.
posted by rcade at 02:59 PM on June 24, 2021
This does away with home teams playing overly defensively in the first leg creating more exciting matches. I much prefer extra time to settle it.
posted by Ricardo at 01:17 AM on June 25, 2021
I much prefer a decision based on one team scoring more than the other versus an arbitrary road goals tiebreaker. And if it loosens up the first legs as Ricardo suggests, that, too, would be a win.
posted by bender at 08:08 AM on June 25, 2021
Away goals>Penalties
While that might be true, it isn't a case of one or the other. Getting rid of away goals gives the teams thirty minutes to try to decide it on the field.
extra time > away goals > penalties
With that, you either take the middle position or you take the two outer options being possibilities. I wonder what the percentage of games are that get decided in the extra time as opposed to having to go to penalties.
posted by Ricardo at 10:29 AM on June 26, 2021
extra time > away goals > penalties
Not necessarily in this context. Playing the first leg away is already an advantage to one team over the other. Then having an extra thirty minutes at home in the event of a drawn two-legged tie is a further advantage.
I also disagree that away goals makes the away team on the first leg more defensive. In fact, looking for a quick away goal is usually part of the game plan.
posted by owlhouse at 06:34 PM on June 26, 2021
This does away with home teams playing overly defensively in the first leg
Home team plays overly defensive, not away team.
posted by Ricardo at 08:18 PM on June 26, 2021
Home team plays overly defensive, not away team
And minimise your home advantage? I really don't think this happens.
The away goals rule has led to some of the most exciting and scintillating finishes to two-legged ties that I've ever seen, and (I believe) actually reduces the prospects of extra time and penalties.
But without detailed statistical evidence, we're just guessing in any case.
posted by owlhouse at 10:30 PM on June 26, 2021
Sorry, bad choice. There are too many games already, this will just add to the minutes put on players.