Away goals rule

Soldato
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Surely it's time Fifa/Uefa look at changing this rule? I've seen 3 teams go out of Europe this season due to it and no one is going to convince me that the 'right' team went through in any of the 3 ties...

  • Firstly take Liverpool v Zenit, Zenit won 2-0 in the first leg and then Liverpool from what I saw battered them 3-1 in the return, how is a 2-0 win at home deemed better than a 3-1?
  • Second example would be Arsenal last night and although this contradicts the above some one tell me how Arsenal didn't deserve at least extra time having been 3-1 down from the first leg to draw the tie level away from home?
  • Third example Inter tonight, Spurs win at home 3-0, Inter win 4-1 in the second leg, to me it's obvious who had the more convincing win over the other and yet its the losing team on the night who progressed.

So what are the alternatives I hear you ask?

  • First one obviously would be the standard extra time and penalties although the argument to this would be that the home side on the night get more playing time at home
  • Second alternative then would be have away goals count only in extra time as that offsets the previous argument but given that's basically how tonights tie went in the end this still doesn't sit completely right with me although it would be a massive improvement over what we have now
  • Final suggestion I can come up with is just straight to penalties but Uefa wont ever go for that

So does anyone else agree that the rule as it stands needs changing (even if it's only for a short period to see how it goes) and if so anyone got any alternative way of deciding ties I haven't mentioned?
 
Personally I hate the rule but there's no straight forward answer to this. The reason why the rule was introduced was to stop sides going away from home and parking the bus. We don't often see that any more but is it because of the away goals rule that's led to the change? I guess we'll only ever find out if/when it's dropped.

It would be interesting to know just how many times the away side has won a tie in ET over the home side, just so we can see whether home advantage for those extra 30 mins is a bigger advantage than an extra 30 mins of the away goals rule. I can't think of many times a home side has won a tie that's gone to ET - it's either been the away side or gone to pens from my memory.
 
Tell me what you said first time that prompted Andy to delete your message then I'll answer your question ;)
 
I thought that its main purpose was to encourage good games of football because without the away goals rule, teams were just parking the bus away from home and hoping to nick it at home. When both teams take that view you have a problem.
 
I've never liked the rule, but if they're going to keep extra time then there's no possibility of having a totally fair system, with or without away goals.

One of the biggest problems with the rule is that for some reason it is quite rare that you're left feeling the best side went through. Another issue I've always had is the disadvantage to whichever side is away first, they have no way of knowing just how valuable an away goal could be, whereas the team that plays away in the 2nd leg knows at this point if away goals are required, and how many. Take the Spurs game tonight as an example, they go into tonights game knowing that Inter scored no away goal, and so if they can get just one goal it will make it very difficult for Inter to progress. I'm sure Inter would have loved to know last week that Spurs would be scoring one away goal in the tie.

I think the rule should be taken out, if arbitrary rules are going to be introduced in the pursuit of fairness, the last thing they should be doing is making the game unfair in a whole different way.
 
The reason why I feel Inter deserved to go through is that not only is beating a team 4-1 more comprehensive than 3-0 (imo) I also think a team who knows they're 3-0 down and come back to score 4 have had the bigger achievement (more so than winning the first leg even if it's as comfortable as 3-0)
 
it wasn't a personal insult, it was a mockery of thread title. not sure why it was deleted tbh.

can thread title be changed to ''SPURS JUST GONE THROUGH ON AWAY GOALS AND I'M NOT HAPPY?''

A post that is backing up Purdy's statement from the other thread.

I want to watch football not refresh this the football threads for childish comments every five mins.
 
Its the only way to decide the tie.

The games degenerate into nothing but away sides camped in the 18 yard box so they don't concede.

Be careful what you wish for.
 
I think you are being a little simplistic about these things as well. The second leg of any game in europe will probably have a team that needs a result which always makes games more interesting. In the case of Arsenal last night, they may have deserved to go through but they had to chase the game. At home they were poor. Does that mean because they went to Germany needing a big win that if they get near it, that cancels out their first leg performance.

Also, United have made a habit of winning when we haven't played well so I am quite glad the best team doesn't always triumph.
 
I've never been a fan of the away goals rule. I think they should just drop it and have goals count as 1 in all situations.

However this would mean more penalty shoot-outs. Which aren't really great either - but are entertaining if your team aren't involved. :p
 
Also to contribute to the thread, I wish it was scrapped, silly rule. Both clubs are in the same boat with home and away fixtures...get rid.
 
I thought that its main purpose was to encourage good games of football because without the away goals rule, teams were just parking the bus away from home and hoping to nick it at home. When both teams take that view you have a problem.

This was the idea nearly 50 years ago (when it was introduced) when European football was supposed to have been very defensive. Football is generally far more attacking now so is the rule still needed? As above, we'll only find out if it's ever done away with.

And anyway, it's not like the rule has completely killed off teams being ultra defensive either. You still get the odd side playing for a 0-0 away from home.
 
The reason why I feel Inter deserved to go through is imo not only is beating a team 4-1 more comprehensive than 3-0 I also feel a team knowing they're 3-0 down and coming back to score 4 is a massive achievement (more so than winning the first leg even if it's as comfortable as 3-0)

put it into context of the game individually and spurs deserved to win on grit and determination. we've had a heavy schedule, our best player suspended and a cb and keeper with a combined age of 75 and the fans who travelled were far louder than the inter fans who sounded like they couldn't give a stuff.

we scored 1 away, they scored 0 away. it's better than penalties and if anything, it gives the home team an advantage due to err being at home?
 
In the case of Arsenal last night, they may have deserved to go through but they had to chase the game. At home they were poor. Does that mean because they went to Germany needing a big win that if they get near it, that cancels out their first leg performance.

Well yeah...
 
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  • Spurs didn't show grit and determination they were comfortably beaten
    as were inter at WHL
  • Your heavy schedule is irrelevant for anyone who isn't a Spurs supporter (nor is it as heavy as a club like Chelsea's)
    it's putting it into context as to why we were 'comfortably' beaten. as is the inclusion of the fact of our best player being absent



are you saying penalties are fairer then? you think the outcome of last season cl final was a fair result then?
 
Spurs is a hard one, but imo given that they were the only team to score home and away, they deserve to go through and imo it would have been very harsh for it to be any other way.

No , beating a team 4-1 is not more comprehensive than beating them 3-0 , if anything its exactly the oposite because the home team didnt conceed. At worst its identical, but not conceeding should be given "extra" credit, even at home (as the home match should be the easier of the two).

Cant get rid of the rule (unless you want to schedule a 3rd match at a neutral venua, but the over all schedule - let alone the league schedule for that ground & teams, could make that impossible)

Both teams know before the kick off whats needed with a week/ two notice - either the manager allows for that in the formation/tactics or is there any chance to start with?

There are very few examples where it is catagorically one team that should have gone through
 
are you saying penalties are fairer then? you think the outcome of last season cl final was a fair result then?

tbh I cant really remember much about that final so I cant really say whether it was a fair result or not because I simply cant remember. Penalties are a lottery as the cliche goes though in which I dont think having home support is much if any factor
 
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