Should it be scrapped? I think so (but, I'm American, and we want to change everything) There was a story in the Guardian this morning and it just reinforced my feeling from yesterday after watching Arse v Monaco. Great game, unfair result IMO. One piece of history, and one quote from the article, makes the point completely for me: The away-goals rule might have seemed fair and necessary in 1967, when travelling teams suffered considerable difficulties, but the money and resources involved in the modern game has reduced the burden on away teams. The rule was introduced as clubs could not afford replays and penalty shoot-outs had not yet made their way into mainstream European football – the invention of the modern shoot-out is usually credited to Yosef Dagan, who came up with the idea due to his annoyance that Israel had lost their 1968 Olympic quarter-final by the drawing of lots, and the first shoot-out in England was not played until 1970, when Manchester United beat Hull City at Boothferry Park in the Watney Cup semi-final. The away-goals rule was a clever invention in 1965 but its time has passed. These days the rule only leads to defensive football, as one elite coach noted in 2008. "I believe the tactical weight of the away goal has become too important," he said. "Teams get a 0-0 draw at home and they're happy. Instead of having a positive effect it has been pushed too far tactically in the modern game. It has the opposite effect than it was supposed to have at the start. It favours defending well when you play at home." That elite coach was, of course, Arsène Wenger. http://www.theguardian.com/football...rule-scrapped-arsenal-monaco-champions-league
Take the away goal rule out and you run the risk of the away team happy to sit back and take the 0-0 with a view to winning the home game (2nd leg)
I thought that away goals only counted after extra time? That was the case at Old Trafford last season (appreciate it was a different competition)
Sort of agree with Ultimate they new the rules so should of defended better and they would of been through now.
Exactly. The rule was introduced in the old format of Euro football when it was knock out from the first round. STEAU Bucharest actually won the competition in the '70s (IIRC) without even scoring a goal in open play. Won all their ties through penalty shootouts. The learned it from the Italians! Monaco only went through as they scored more away from home than Arsenal.
