The “new rule” of the Champions League could hinder Paris Saint-Germain and help Real Madrid in the last 16

Paris Saint-Germain-Real Madrid and Sporting-Manchester City opened the round of 16 of the Champions League on Tuesday without the away goals rule

Round of 16 Champions League Tuesday begins with two duels. In Paris , Paris Saint-Germain receive the real Madrid In the most anticipated confrontation of the beginning of the knockout stage, while Manchester visit Sporting. The four clubs will have to deal with a new rule in the competition.

The away goals standard, which has been part of European competition since 1965, was officially abolished by UEFA in June 2021. With the Champions League qualifiers arriving, new standards with occupation are taking center stage.

The goal difference still applies to the aggregate score at the end of the home and away matches. However, If both teams score the same number of goals, it doesn’t matter where they score. The duel will go into overtime, and if a tie continues, penalties will be imposed.

One of the main reasons for the change was the advantage that the clubs that played in the second match had as the visitors. Those who decide to move away from their fields, in the event of extra time, have another 30 minutes to score away goals – which, in practice, could equal a goal and a half.

“I don’t understand why a team that plays as a visitor in the second game can get 30 minutes more than the other team to score a goal worth double. Sometimes it happened to us, like now, and a goal in the playoffs was worth a lot,” Simeone complained in 2017. be alone.

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Teams face each other on Tuesday (15), in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League

in this way, The change hampered PSG, while helping Real Madrid. Vinicius Junior’s side will decide at home and will not have to worry about a goal worthy of a “double” in extra time for the Parisians, who in turn lose this advantage. Same goes for Sporting, handicap, and Manchester City, helped.

However, overtime was not the only problem that led to UEFA banning away goals. In its June 2021 statement, European football’s governing body also noted that the winning rate of domestic teams has been decreasing since the 1980s, from 61% to 47%.

“The effect of the rule was contrary to its original goal, as it discouraged the local teams to attack, especially in the first leg, because they were afraid of conceding a goal that would give their opponent a decisive advantage”UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin justified at the time.

If an away goal is no longer a reality in every playoff match on the Old Continent, there is another outcome that could be considered negative by some. The trend is that more matches arrive in overtime (sometimes drawn) and penalties (sometimes unfair), resulting in more matches being decided with the ball at rest – not rolling.