Soccer Spotlight: EU Rule Change Could Upset UEFA Champions!

(Getty Images) No Champions League away goals rule in 2026: What happens if teams are tied on aggregate goals after second leg? originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

In June 2021, UEFA abolished the away goals tiebreaker starting with the 2021/22 season, and it proved to be a massive change that has altered the way coaches and players approach European competitions played over two legs. In the past, away goals scored served as the first tiebreaker and only when teams were level on away goals did extra time and penalties become an option. The away-goals tiebreaker rule was around for over 50 years (since 1965), but the European governing body UEFA indicated that it made the move to nix it based on sporting justice and feedback from the football community.

The first Champions League match to be affected by the rule change was a 2021/22 first qualifying round matchup between Welsh club Connah's Quay Nomads and Armenian side Alashkert, who went to extra time even though Alashkert had scored more away goals. Alashkert still advanced after scoring in extra time. MORE: No away goals in the Champions League, good or bad?

| New UCL format a smashing success What happens if teams finish tied on aggregate goals in the Champions League? There is no longer a need for fans to do calculations about how many away goals each team has scored in a two-leg series in order to figure out who goes through or how many goals a team needs to advance. As the rule stands, if the aggregate score after two legs is level, there will be two 15-minute periods of extra time .