Away goals rule: do goals scored on the road count in Europa and Conference leagues - UEFA ruling explained

The away goal rule has been abolished in European competitions.
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Last night’s European ties resulted in some thrilling scorelines, with Rangers putting four past Borussia Dortmund in Germany, while Napoli claimed a draw against Barcelona.

Both Rangers and Napoli would have benefited from the away goals rule, while Celtic will be glad the law was removed this season after their disappointing 3-1 defeat to Bodo/Glimt in Glasgow.

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Prior to this season, the away goals rule stated that all goals scored by the visiting team in both home and away legs would count as double if the aggregate score ended level.

Away goal rule out of European football

All European competitions this season (Champions League, Europa League and European Conference League) have seen a dramatic change to the rules that sees the away goal rule no longer count.

This decision was revealed in June last year, with the current campaign the first to implement it.

Many fames victories in Europe have been celebrated due to the away goals, such as Tottenham Hotspur’s dramatic win over Manchester City in the quarter-final of the 2019 Champions League.

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The abolishment of the rule means both teams are now on a level playing field in both legs and matches are also a lot more likely to end in extra-time and penalties.

Why has it been abolished?

UEFA opted to abolish the away goals rule this season as there was question marks over its fairness.

UEFA president Aleksandr Ceferin said: The away goals rule has been an intrinsic part of UEFA competitions since it was introduced in 1965.

“However, the question of its abolition has been debated at various UEFA meetings over the last few years. Although there was no unanimity of views, many coaches, fans and other football stakeholders have questioned its fairness and have expressed a preference for the rule to be abolished.

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“The impact of the rule now runs counter to its original purpose as, in fact, it now dissuades home teams - especially in first legs - from attacking, because they fear conceding a goal that would give their opponents a crucial advantage.

“There is also criticism of the unfairness, especially in extra time, of obliging the home team to score twice when the away team has scored.”

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