PSG’s tight 1- 0 Champions League win over Real Madrid on Tuesday night could be a portent of the future.
Only a sensational Kylian Mbappe goal in the last minute sealed a win for PSG after the struggled to break down an incredibly defensive Madrid side.
This is the first year that the scrapping of the Champions League away goals rule is in effect. We are used to away goals effectively counting for double, meaning away teams had an incentive to attack.
Minus that incentive, we will likely see more of the conservatism that Real Madrid showed at the Parc des Princes.
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We are accustomed to the drama and shifting permutations that the away goals rule provides in the Champions League. There is a feeling it may lead to less exciting games. Certainly, it will take some getting used to.
However, the away goals rule has been nonsensical for decades. It was first introduced in the UEFA Cup Winners cup in 1966.
At the time, there was next to no ability for teams to research their European opponents – they were true away days. Teams were going to a city they knew nothing about to face a team they knew nothing about. This resulted in an ultra-cautious approach with teams reckoning they would simply not lose and then finish the job at home.
The away goals rule was a much needed incentive at the time, but it serves no function anymore.
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These days, teams will know exactly how to score against their opponents. Or, in the case of Real Madrid on Tuesday, exactly how to try and keep them out. If it wasn’t for the brilliance of Mbappe, Real Madrid would have got the 0-0 draw they came for.
It makes this season in particular interesting though. As it is the first time away goals aren’t a factor, the psychological impact on players and coaches is bound to have an effect on how they play.
Of course, they could take the Guardiola approach, and simply score 5 goals, as Manchester City did away at Sporting Lisbon in the other game of the night.
