UEFA was right about the Champions League

UEFA's removal of the away goals rule brings drama to matches.

The Champions League semi-final between Inter Milan and Barcelona, ​​with a 7-6 aggregate score after two legs in favor of the Italian team, not only became one of the classic confrontations of the tournament, it also proved the correctness of UEFA's decision to abolish the away goals rule.

The match that went down in history

13 goals were scored after more than 210 minutes of competition between Inter Milan and Barcelona in the two semi-finals of the 2024/25 Champions League. This is something that is not often seen in the history of the tournament, even many people witnessed such an attractive knockout pair in the Champions League for the first time.

The first leg in Spain ended in a 3-3 draw in an open game, with both sides not hesitating to attack. The return leg at Giuseppe Meazza continued to see a thrilling scoreline, with Inter leading 2-0 at half-time, only for Barcelona to go 3-2 up, before Francesco Acerbi equalised for 3-3, with Davide Frattesi sealing a 4-3 win in extra time.

A total of 13 goals in two legs is testament to the dedication of the team, unfettered by concerns about the value of away goals. Starting in the 2021/22 season, UEFA will scrap a decades-old rule that would determine the fate of a tie if the aggregate score is tied.

This decision, while controversial at first, has now proven to be effective in increasing competition, encouraging attacking play and delivering some of the best matches this season, such as Inter 7-6 Barcelona, ​​or previously PSG 5-4 Aston Villa, Barcelona 5–3 Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich 3-4 Inter Milan.

In the past, the away goals rule was introduced to encourage teams to play more offensively when playing away from home, and to make a difference in evenly matched matches.

However, in practice, this rule often leads to negative defensive play, especially in the first leg away from home. Teams often prioritize keeping a clean sheet over taking risks in attack, as a home goal can put them at a huge disadvantage.

This reduces the appeal of matches, making many confrontations cautious and lacking breakthroughs. The abolition of the away goals rule allows teams to compete with a more relaxed mentality.

As for Inter Milan, they did not play a negative defensive game as many people predicted. In both matches, Simone Inzaghi and his team boldly pushed up their formation when needed and reaped sweet rewards.

Raphinha's goal (Barca) in the 87th minute seemed to decide the fate of the match, but Inter did not give up. Francesco Acerbi, a 37-year-old center back, scored a surprise equalizer in injury time, before Frattesi sealed the victory in extra time. If the away goals rule had remained, Inter could have played more cautiously in the first leg, avoiding conceding three goals, and the return leg would not have reached such a dramatic climax.

Successful season

The away goals rule has been criticised for giving an unfair advantage. A single away goal can change the outcome of a match. Removing the rule helps to level the playing field for both teams, with aggregate score becoming the sole criterion for deciding a winner.

Inter and Barca created an emotional match.

In the case of Inter and Barcelona, ​​the 7-6 aggregate scoreline was a fair reflection of the level of effort and effort put in by both sides. Neither team benefited from home or away advantage, with victory going to the team that was more clinical and efficient over the 210 minutes of play.

It’s worth remembering that since the knockout stages of the 2024/25 Champions League, the majority of ties have been high-scoring affairs. Only one Champions League knockout match this season has finished 0-0. In addition, only 9% of matches have ended 1-0.

The number of knockout ties that ended with at least five goals or more was 53%, a record high in Champions League history. In the quarter-finals, all ties ended with at least six goals or more over two legs.

UEFA's decision to scrap the away goals rule not only changes the landscape of individual matches, but also reshapes the way teams approach the Champions League.

Coaches like Simone Inzaghi are free to experiment with tactics, while players are encouraged to give their all no matter where they play.

The Inter-Barcelona match was a testament to how big teams are willing to sacrifice to win, rather than trying to preserve their advantage. And the fans are the biggest beneficiaries. The matches are unpredictable, exciting and full of emotion.

What Inter and Barcelona have just demonstrated will go down in the history of the tournament, the ideal image that UEFA is aiming for when reforming the rules. Football, after all, is still to serve the fans.

Source: https://znews.vn/uefa-da-dung-ve-champions-league-post1551529.html