Last night Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League thanks to a backwards UEFA away goals rule. It was a heartbreaking exit, The Reds were meant to win the European Cup for the next ten years but it was not meant to be. Something needs to change by the start of next season’s competition.
Liverpool crashed out due to the away goals rule last night – they need to scrap them in extra time. (Photo by Paul ELLIS / AFP) (Photo by PAUL ELLIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Atletico Madrid headed into the tie at Anfield with a one goal lead from the first leg.
The visitors dug in deep and defended for their lives, rarely venturing out with the ball, consistently refusing to play football and were instead content with stopping The Reds from playing.
Gini Wijnaldum levelled the tie before half time, putting a perfect header past a helpless Jan Oblak from an Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain cross.
Roberto Firmino put Jürgen Klopp’s men ahead in extra time, tucking away at the second time of asking.
Thereafter was disaster, Adrian gifted the visitors the game with a misplaced placed pass allowing them through on goal. Madrid went on to score again a few minutes later, truth be told the keeper should have saved both goals.
Liverpool fell victim to the away goal rule, as soon as that second goal went in, the Reds needed to score twice more as to draw on aggregate would see them eliminated.
Whilst we aren’t against away goals as a whole, they shouldn’t count in extra time – it isn’t fair for one side to have an extra half an hour to get their away goals.
If this rule hadn’t have counted then Jürgen Klopp could have been more patient and waited for an opening to draw the game on aggregate and take it to penalties – instead he had to gamble and in turn let the visitors in for another goal.
It was a cruel ending to the tie, fingers crossed UEFA will wake up and make some changes by the start of next season.