The 2021-22 UEFA Champions League continues its course as the path towards the much anticipated final is intensifying. The tournament decider was originally expected to take place in Saint Petersburg but was later relocated to Saint-Denis in response to the Russia invasion of Ukraine.
The elimination of heavy favorites Paris Saint-Germain was one of the biggest shocks so far, as PSG have once again fell short in their quest for a highly desired continental price. Another heavyweight like Barcelona did not even make it through the group stage and were relegated to the Europa League.
This will be one of the last editions of the Champions League in its current format, as a new system will be put into effect in 2024. UEFA, however, has already made changes for this tournament by introducing a new rule regarding away goals.
Do away goals in Champions League matter? What is the tie-breaker?
Away goals don't matter the way they did before in the Champions League. The biggest change for the current edition of the Champions League is the elimination of the away goal rule.
UEFA has decided to eliminate the away goal rule in the 2021-22 Champions League knockout stage to increase sporting justice. While the away goal rule used to encourage visitors to adopt an offensive style of play and not park the bus, it was also criticised by many players and coaches who felt that it was unfair for teams who played the second leg at home.
In case a series went to extra time, the visitors would have more time to score an away goal than the opponents. Therefore, the tie-breaker is now determined via extra time or penalties, should the draw persists after 120 minutes.
