What happens in case of a tie in the 2023 Champions League Final: extra-time, penalty kicks...

The stage is set at the Atatürk Olimpiyat in Istanbul. The huge continental field of clubs has been whittled down to just two, and much of the world will be watching.

The holy grail of being crowed Kings of Europe has continued to elude Manchester City, the club that has dominated the number one ranked league on the planet in recent years. But with billions pumped into the creation of the squad, one of the greatest coaches we’ve ever known placed into the dugout, and the insatiable goal-getter Erling Haaland dropped in as a cherry on top, most pundits are pointing to this year being their year.

In the other corner we have Inter Milan, and the Italians will have plenty to say about the outcome of UEFA’s showpiece final, as they strive for a fourth title. Lautaro Martinez is a major threat to the City goal and he’s ably supported by a group that finished third in Serie A, and second only to runaway winners Napoli in terms of net bulging.Taming Pep’s bull will, however, be their initial objective, and if they can, we could well reach the end of normal time all square. So, what happens then?

The first thing to remember is that, unlike some similar regional finales, this a one-off game at a neutral venue. This means that any thoughts of the old away goals rule (which was scrapped for other rounds) doesn’t need to creep into our thinking. Saturday’s winner will go into the history books, with qualification for next season’s top competition already secured by both due to their league position.

Is there extra-time and penalties in the Champions League final?

Extra-time, the equivalent known in a number of US sports as ‘overtime’, is indeed the next step to deciding who gets the big trophy. And if that doesn’t decide it, we head into the nerve-shredding excitement of a penalty shoot out.

How does extra-time work in the Champions League final?

If Saturday’s final ends level with both teams tied after the full 90 minutes plus whatever stoppage time match official Szymon Marciniak deems fit to add on, two 15-minute periods of extra-time will be played with a brief, half-time interval between each half. If one of the team scores more goals than the other team during the 30 minutes of extra time, they will be declared the winners.

For example, if the final ends 1-1 on 90 minutes and Inter is the only team to score in extra-time, they will lift the trophy and vice versa. In the history of the Champions League (previously the European Cup) there have been five games that have been decided in extra-time.

What happens if the final is still tied after extra-time? What is the penalty shoot-out procedure?

If the score is still level after extra-time, the winner will be determined via a penalty shoot-out, in accordance with IFAB Laws of the Game.

Both teams will take a minimum of five penalties each in a best-of-five series. The referee will toss a coin to determine the goal where the kicks will be taken. A second toss of the coin will decide which team takes the first kick and who will go second.

Each captain is responsible for selecting the first five players who will take the kicks and the order in which they take them. The penalty taker and both goalkeepers are the only ones allowed to remain near the goal area, all other players must remain in the centre-circle or behind the halfway line.

The penalties are taken alternately by each time until both have taken five kicks - or until it is no longer possible for one of the teams to win the best of five series (eg. if one team converts their first three penalties and the other misses their three, the shoot-out is technically over).

If, after both teams have taken five kicks, the scores are still level, the shootout will enter sudden death - ie. both teams will continue taking one penalty each until someone misses or their shot is saved. The winner will be the to one who has scored the most goals from the same number of kicks.

There have previously been 11 Champions League/European Cup finals were decided on penalties, including that incredible comeback in Istanbul (the setting for the 2023 final) by Liverpool over AC Milan, from England and Italy respectively. Interesting.

Will we see another nail-biting finish to this one?