Real Madrid’s Champions League quarter-final clash against Arsenal may result in latest rule change to begin from next season, in response to reports.
Arsenal beat Real Madrid 3-0 in the primary leg at home last week with the 2 sides set to satisfy on the Bernabeu on Wednesday for the second leg.
Ahead of their mouth-watering showdown within the Spanish capital, Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has warned Arsenal ‘anything can occur’.
Real Madrid are probably the most successful team in Champions League history, having clinched 15 trophies, with Carlo Ancelotti’s side the present holders.
Why Real Madrid vs Arsenal is raising questions
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Before the match in Spain, it has emerged that UEFA is considering a rule change to the Champions League to start from the 2025-26 campaign.
It comes amid criticism that Arsenal will play the pivotal second leg away from home – despite ending ahead of Real Madrid within the league phase.
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Arsenal ended the league phase in third while Real Madrid were eleventh and required a play-off win over Manchester City to even reach the last 16.
How UEFA currently schedules quarter-final ties
By ending in the highest eight of the league phase – Arsenal qualified directly for the last 16 – where they defeated PSV to achieve the quarter-finals.
Under current rules, the highest eight teams from the league phase are guaranteed to play their last-16 second leg matches at home.
But that goes out the window within the quarter-finals and semi-finals, with a random draw currently deciding who gets to play the second leg at home.
The random draw decided that Arsenal would play their quarter-final and possible semi-final second legs away from home for the present season.
Does playing the second leg at home really give teams a bonus?
It’s widely assumed that the team playing their second leg at home has a bonus over their opponent.
But a study from Ghent University in 2019 has actually suggested that this can be a myth.
Researchers in Belgium analysed 320 two-legged matches from the Champions League and Europa League between 2010 and 2017.
They found there was no evidence to suggest that the team playing their second leg at home had a bonus.
‘This second leg home advantage, if it exists, appears to be compensated for by other dynamics,’ researcher Simon Amez from Ghent University said.
What’s the potential solution being considered?
In response to the Each day Mail, UEFA chiefs are set to debate a change to the present rules which might abolish the random draw for the quarter-finals and semi-finals.
It’s reported that there’s a ‘growing belief’ that there will not be enough reward for the eight clubs who finish highest within the 36-team league phase.
This might potentially be fixed by allowing the highest eight to play their last 16, quarter-final and semi-final second leg matches all at home – although a final decision has not been made just yet.
What this implies for Arsenal
Nothing for this season. It’s already set in stone that Arsenal will certainly play away within the second leg in the event that they reach this season’s Champions League semi-finals by eliminating Real Madrid.
It might all change for next season, meaning Arsenal may very well be rewarded in the event that they repeat their success within the 2025-26 Champions League league phase.
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