Thierry Henry urges UEFA to reinstate rule that could boost Arsenal’s chances against PSG
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Thierry Henry has reignited the debate over UEFA’s scrapped away goals rule following a pulsating 3-3 draw between Inter Milan and Barcelona in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final.
The Arsenal legend made the comments after Inter came agonisingly close to stealing a dramatic late winner at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys, only for Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s goal to be ruled out for offside by the semi-automated VAR system.
In a back-and-forth thriller, Barcelona twice came from behind to salvage a draw against a spirited Inter Milan side. Marcus Thuram stunned the home crowd early with a smart flicked finish before Denzel Dumfries doubled the Italian side’s lead. Barcelona responded through teenage sensation Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres, who pulled the Catalans level before halftime.
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Dumfries struck again in the second half to make it 3-2, but Yamal once more brought Barcelona level, capping an extraordinary night of football in the Catalan capital.
Reflecting on the game, Thierry Henry questioned whether Inter’s three goals away from home should carry more weight, suggesting the old away goals rule might have given the visitors a deserved advantage heading into the second leg at the San Siro.
“I know it’s been like that for a while, and we have to accept it,” Henry said on CBS Sports. “But off air, I was talking to Jamie [Carragher], and I was like, ‘How can you score three goals away from home and you don’t have an advantage?’
“Away goals for me were massive. You score three goals away and you still don’t have an advantage? It’s 0-0 again at home,” he added with a shrug.
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UEFA abolished the away goals rule ahead of the 2021–22 season, arguing it was outdated and often discouraged attacking play from home sides. At the time, former Arsenal manager and current FIFA Chief of Global Football Development Arsène Wenger supported the change, saying the rule had become too influential in modern football.
Without the away goals rule in place, the tie will head to extra time and possibly penalties if the score remains level after the second leg in Milan.
Despite their recent domestic stumbles, including losses to Roma and Bologna, Inter’s performance impressed Thierry Henry, who admitted he hadn’t expected such a showing.
“You have to give them a lot of credit for matching what Barcelona gave them and coming strong in the game,” Henry said. “To be honest, I didn’t expect that.”
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