European knock-out ties as we know them are on the verge of a landmark change as UEFA gears up to scrap its away goals rule from next season.
A competition committee formed by governing body UEFA has voted to abolish the system after 56 years.
As a result, the script of European nights in both the Champions League and Europa League are set to undergo a historic overhaul, while it will also take effect in the newly-established Conference League.
Having relinquished their one-season hold on the Premier League, Liverpool produced superb late-season form to qualify for the Champions League ahead of next term.
Officials at UEFA reached the verdict on Friday and a final decision rests in the hands of their executive committee.
According to a report by The Times, there is a general feeling that the away goals rule is outdated - and that could result in a historic change for clubs over the continent, including Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool and their city neighbours.
Meanwhile, other alterations could be in the offing amid suggestions that UEFA are willing to condense Champions League semi-finals to a one-off tie.
As part of that, it's thought that the final could be moved to the same week as the semi-final - with UEFA members deeming last season's mini-tournament in Portugal to be a success.
In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, the semi-finals and final from 2019/2020 were crammed into one week and hosted in Lisbon in a bid to squeeze fixtures in.
It's already been a challenging and landmark few months for elite football across the continent.
Indeed, on the back of controversial and now-shelved European Super League (ESL) proposals, further changes are set to be considered in the Champions League ahead of the 2024/2025 season.
