Champions League: Do away goals count? What are extra time and penalty rules in knockout stages of competition?

There is nothing like the knockout stages of the Champions League, especially when we get to the second leg of a huge tie. Most of the last-16 matches are very much in the balance as Chelsea and Tottenham need to overturn 1-0 deficits, Manchester City are level with RB Leipzig and Bayern Munich sit 1-0 up on Paris Saint-Germain. Ad Liverpool’s hopes of a seventh Champions League title are hanging by a thread after they were stunned 5-2 by Real Madrid and need to beat the competition holders by at least three goals at the Bernabeu.

Champions LeagueHow to watch Chelsea v Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League5 HOURS AGO It brings up the question: do away goals still count in the Champions League and how can a match go to extra time? Champions League away goals rule history For 56 years, away goals were vital in the Champions League because they could decide a tie which was level. For example, in the 2019 semi-finals, Tottenham lost their first leg to Ajax 1-0 at home, but dramatically won the second leg in Amsterdam 3-2 after a Lucas Moura hat-trick so went through on away goals. The match was 3-3 on aggregate, but Spurs’ three away goals versus Ajax’s one put them into the final, which they lost to Liverpool.

However, ahead of the 2021-22 season, UEFA announced that the rule would no longer exist so away goals do not matter more in the knockout stages of the Champions League. With the new rules in place, last season saw Manchester City beat Real Madrid 4-3 in a thrilling first leg at the Etihad Stadium. After 90 minutes in the second leg, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were 2-1 up thanks to two late Karim Benzema goals.