Europa League Away Goals Rule For 2023

• Do Away Goals Count In Europa League 2023?
• What Happens If Europa League Ties End As A Draw?
• What Does It Mean For 2023 Matches?

The second legs of the play-offs matches are upon us, leaving many football fans asking if away goals count in the Europa League this season.

In past seasons in UEFA competitions, away goals have been used to separate sides level after two legs. The team that has scored the most goals in the away leg would progress.

The rule had been in place since 1965.

Do Away Goals Count In Europa League 2023?

Away goals do not count in the Europa League this season and, in fact, this has been the case since the start of last season.

The Europa League away goals rule was removed by UEFA at the start of the 2021-2022 season.

The change applies to all UEFA competitions, meaning there is no away goals rule in the Champions League nor UEFA Europa Conference League.

Upon removing the away goals rule, UEFA 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.”

“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.”

“It is fair to say that home advantage is nowadays no longer as significant as it once was.

“Taking into consideration the consistency across Europe in terms of styles of play, and many different factors which have led to a decline in home advantage, the UEFA Executive Committee has taken the correct decision in adopting the view that it is no longer appropriate for an away goal to carry more weight than one scored at home.”

What Happens If Europa League Ties End As A Draw?

So what happens if ties are level after two legs? With the Europa League away goal rule removed, extra-time and penalties will be used to decide which team progresses through to the next stage of the competition.

What Does It Mean For 2023 Matches?

The removal of the away goals rule means that teams will be able to sit back and rely on any advantage from the first leg.

For example, in the Manchester United vs Barcelona Europa League play-off match, United previously would have progressed with a 0-0 or 1-1 draw in the second half, but that is no longer the case.

Indeed, four of the eight 2023 Europa League play-off ties are level after the first-leg matches.

• Nantes vs Juventus (1-1)
• Monaco vs Leverkusen (3-2)
• Man Utd vs Barcelona (2-2)
• Union Berlin vs Ajax (0-0)
• Midtjylland vs Sporting (1-1)
• PSV vs Sevilla (0-3)
• Rennes vs Shakhtar Donetsk (1-2)
• Roma vs Salzburg (0-1)