Away goal rule flaw blatant?

Spurs won in the Europa League tonight losing 4-1, 4-4 on aggregate to Inter Milan. Content though I am with this outcome, it further begs a question I've been asking a long time.

Tottenham won the tie on the basis that they scored an away goal more than Inter. But in the event that the scores from the first and second leg are identical such as the match in question, the away team of the second leg stand a clear mathematical advantage in that come the end of extra time, they have had 120 minutes in which to score the all-important away goals, where the home team only had 90.

Am I the only person to have spotted this, or just the only one to find it outrageous?

Yes, its a stupid rule.

Extra time should wipe the away goal rule out.

A similar thing happened for us against Spurs in the League Cup semi final.

4-1 down after the first leg away and we won 3-0 in the home leg but League Cup rules had changed that season and the away goal rule was taken out.

So Spurs got an extra 30 minutes to try and get through, which they did.

Jammy Spurs.

I saw someone said it on the bbc page.

never really thought it about tbh!

Away goals rule should be scrapped all together IMHO. If the scores are level after one or two matches, extra time and penalties should decide the match. If you don't like penalties as a decider, the only other way is replays until someone wins.

I think the away goals rule is very good, if it wasn't there away teams would have no incentive of attacking, they would play for a nil nil and look to the home leg.

I am guessing the away goals advantage in extra time for the away team is balanced somewhat by the home team playing an extra half hour at home.

Michaels right. If there was no away goals we could possibly have some awful games more often. Having the away goal makes teams come out and play. Arsenal the other night is an example

It's the luck of the draw.

Michael Bolton wrote:I think the away goals rule is very good, if it wasn't there away teams would have no incentive of attacking, they would play for a nil nil and look to the home leg.

I am guessing the away goals advantage in extra time for the away team is balanced somewhat by the home team playing an extra half hour at home.

That's exactly why the away goals rule was introduced. There were some awful wars of attrition before it came in and given that everyone knows the rule from the start, it adds more spice to games.

I don't have a problem with the idea behind the away goal rule. The trouble is the way it is implemented makes it, at a point, fundamentally unfair.

Michael Bolton wrote:
I am guessing the away goals advantage in extra time for the away team is balanced somewhat by the home team playing an extra half hour at home.

I take this point but is a psychological advantage a fair balance for a mathematical one? Not in my opinion.

It may not be a fair trade off, but both team's know the score from the outset.
It's certainly more fair than a one leg cup competition where you're either drawn home or away.

Have you got a better idea Doffcocker?