Is playing @ home really an advantage in the CL?

[Pottertons]

I was thinking about it and thought. No chance.

When a team has to defend a 0-0, 1-0 or whatever the case may be. How can they be @ ease when playing @ home?

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Home crowds are known to influence the officials.

[Pottertons]

Althought true, it's a small factor when you consider what's @ stake.

[BocaFan]

I was thinking about it and thought. No chance.

When a team has to defend a 0-0, 1-0 or whatever the case may be. How can they be @ ease when playing @ home?

It's a pretty big advantage. Just looking at the champions league knockout stages the past two seasons, the home team has a record of 30 wins, 14 draws and 10 losses.

And in no matchup has the away team won both legs. :o

[kotto_bass]

I was thinking about it and thought. No chance.

When a team has to defend a 0-0, 1-0 or whatever the case may be. How can they be @ ease when playing @ home?
Home advantage counts. The crowd, the atmosphere, the pitch etc. You feel at home :D and if you win the away leg, you have more confidence, while it's the opposite for the other team. At this point, there's no need to protect the lead. You actually play to widen the lead!

[King-James]

I guess it's an advantage, but perhaps it's overrated. At least by all commentators I've listened to during the CL - placing far too little emphasis on the away goal rule. I strongly disagree with the idea that a 0-0 draw is a good result in the first leg for an away team.

[leg_breaker]

The away goal rule means that home advantage isn't that great. If you go away and draw 0-0, in the home leg you can't concede at all costs. Ask Inter or Rangers what home advantage counts for.

[BocaFan]

I guess it's an advantage, but perhaps it's overrated. At least by all commentators I've listened to during the CL - placing far too little emphasis on the away goal rule. I strongly disagree with the idea that a 0-0 draw is a good result in the first leg for an away team.

Yeah, I agree its not a good result in general. Depends on the teams involved though. That being said, in Champions League only twice (in 7 occurances) in the last six seasons has a team drawn the first leg 0-0 away and not gone on to win (and one of those was the Milan derby)**. Granted often the better team plays the first-leg away.

Interestingly, in most of those occasions (0-0 first leg) the away team was Italian. Big surprise. :rolleyes:

** Porto (against Deportivo La Coruna) was the only real second-leg "away" team to recover from a 0-0 home draw in the first-leg.

[kotto_bass]

Interestingly, in most of those occasions (0-0 first leg) the away team was Italian. Big surprise. :rolleyes:

I've noticed too Italian teams seem to count on the home leg much more. They could lose 2-1 away, and be happy. Inter seemed a bit discouraged against Villarreal when they won the home leg 2-1. Juv on the other hand was still very confident when they lost the away leg to Arsenal 2-0 :D .

[Hazzathewazza]

I dont think that there is much difference now. If you play at home, you have the crowd, usually the referee and the weather/conditions to suit you, however the away goal counters that advantage in my opinion.

[Pottertons]

Personally, I think they should just scrap the away goal rule and go to extra-time/pens if the total of goals over 2 legs is equal.

It's annoying when a team plays it's socks off in the second leg, wins the match and gets knocked out because of 1 goal that was scored in the first leg. e.g

last seasons semis- Milan v PSV.

That situation should have taken the match to extra time in my opinion. Plus, I believe that it would add more tension to the game when the team coming from behind knows that they only have to score 1 goal if the 1st leg was 2-1 to the opponents. Not to mention the fact that the opponents won't be able to sit back as much, knowing that the match can easily go to ex.time

I don't know. It's just that to me....a goal, is a goal, is a goal. They don't do it in league play, so why bother with the european tourneys.

[BocaFan]

Personally, I think they should just scrap the away goal rule and go to extra-time/pens if the total of goals over 2 legs is equal.

It's annoying when a team plays it's socks off in the second leg, wins the match and gets knocked out because of 1 goal that was scored in the first leg. e.g

last seasons semis- Milan v PSV.

That situation should have taken the match to extra time in my opinion. Plus, I believe that it would add more tension to the game when the team coming from behind knows that they only have to score 1 goal if the 1st leg was 2-1 to the opponents. Not to mention the fact that the opponents won't be able to sit back as much, knowing that the match can easily go to ex.time

I don't know. It's just that to me....a goal, is a goal, is a goal. They don't do it in league play, so why bother with the european tourneys.

Well, the away-goal is there to encourage away teams to attack. Without it, the away team will sit-back and defend alot more... even if they're losing 1-nil. League matches are different because a 1-nil loss is as bad as 5-nil. So the away team will certainly try to score if they're down a goal in a league match.

That's why even in domestic cup tourneys, the away-goal is used. Its not just a European or international thing.

[Miller2010]

I think having home advantage is massive

1. Intimidation
2. Unfamiliar playing surface, but the home team know how the pitch plays
3. Crowds getting behind the team
4. Some people could say officials give more calls to the home side.

[Pottertons]

I think having home advantage is massive

1. Intimidation
2. Unfamiliar playing surface, but the home team know how the pitch plays
3. Crowds getting behind the team
4. Some people could say officials give more calls to the home side.

Fair enough, I do understand what you lot are saying, but I just can't get with the idea of 1 team going through to the next round over another, yet they both hit the back of the net, the exact same amount of times.

I know it's non-negotiable and it'll probably never change, but I just thought I'd get some views.

Good to be back on these boards. Very busy. Always a conversation to be had. :D

[OMfreak]

it can be a stress, ask real madrid players for most of this season's home game. :D