THE Champions League semi-final between Chelsea and Real Madrid is tonight as the sides battle it out for a chance to play Man City in Istanbul.
But how do away goals work in the competition?
Do away goals count in extra time of Champions League and Europa League matches?
AS ever, away goals count if the game finishes a draw on aggregate after 90 minutes.
Uefa were considering changing the rule but for now it will remain the same.
So extra time can only happen if the same reverse scoreline appears in both games and the two teams have the same amount of away goals.
Here’s the Uefa guidelines on what happens next: “For matches played under the knockout system, if the two teams involved in a tie score the same number of goals over the two legs, the team which scores more away goals qualifies for the next stage.
“If this procedure does not produce a result, i.e. if both teams score the same number of goals at home and away, two 15-minute periods of extra time are played at the end of the second leg.
“If both teams score the same number of goals during extra time, away goals count double (i.e. the visiting team qualifies).
“If no goals are scored during extra time, kicks from the penalty mark determine which team qualifies for the next stage.”
So if we reach extra time and EITHER team scores within the added 30 minutes, there is NO chance of the game going to penalties.
If the away team manages to score in extra time, away goals kick in and the home side must net twice to progress.
Do away goals count for Champions League and Europa League ties at neutral venues?
Liverpool, Man Utd, Man City, Tottenham, Chelsea and Arsenal have all, at some stage, played the away legs of their European ties at neutral venues.
However, away goals WILL apply to all two-legged ties in Uefa competitions this season.
After Chelsea netted against Real Madrid in Spain, a 0-0 draw or victory will be enough to see them through to the final.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
