Thierry Henry has slammed a Champions League rule change in the aftermath of the dramatic 3-3 draw between Barcelona and Inter Milan at the Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys on Wednesday night. Simone Inzaghi’s side stormed to an early two-goal lead, and while Denzel Dumfries’ late second appeared to have sealed the win after a Barcelona fightback, Inter ultimately left Catalonia with a sense of missed opportunity....READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE | READ ORIGINAL & FULL CONTENT FROM SOURCE...
The decisive moment came via a slice of misfortune – a Yann Sommer own goal. As Raphinha unleashed a powerful, curling strike from the edge of the box, the ball crashed off the crossbar, struck the back of the Swiss goalkeeper, and rebounded into his own net with just 25 minutes left on the clock. Watch the goal below:
With the semi-final now finely balanced heading into next week’s return leg at the legendary San Siro, Henry voiced his frustration over a recent rule change he believes unfairly denied Inter a deserved edge.
The CBS Sports’ pundit may live to regret his pact should the teenage sensation inspire Barcelona’s sixth Champions League win.
Thierry Henry Slams Champions League Rule Change
The away goal rule was scrapped back in 2021
Henry believes Wednesday night’s thriller highlighted exactly why the away goals rule should never have been abolished. Scrapped in 2021, the rule allowed the team with more goals scored away from home to progress if the aggregate score was level after both legs.
Had it still been in place, Inter – having scored three times on Spanish soil – would undoubtedly have left as the more satisfied of the two sides. Without it, Inzaghi’s side are no closer to victory than they were before last night, and Henry explained on CBS Sports after (watch the full segment below):
“I know it’s been like that for a very long time, and we have to accept it, but it’s unfair. How can you score three goals away from home and not have an advantage? Away goals, for me, were massive, because how can you score three goals and not have any more advantage than a 0-0 home draw?”
Barcelona, on the other hand, will be relieved to have avoided defeat in midweek, leaving the tie delicately poised ahead of the second leg. With Henry also admitting he was surprised by the level of Inter’s performance, the question now is whether the Italian side can sustain that intensity for another 90 minutes – or more – and potentially knock out the current favourites before next month’s final in Munich.
A win would see Inter reach their second Champions League final in three seasons, having narrowly lost 1-0 to Manchester City in the 2023 edition. The victor of this semi-final will go on to face either Paris Saint-Germain or Arsenal, with PSG holding a 1-0 advantage from the first leg at the Emirates Stadium.