Chelsea will be involved in today's Champions League last-16 draw, but there will be a slight change to the way the competition works this season.
Despite the Zenit blip last week, Chelsea will now be looking forward to learning their opponents for the UEFA Champions League round of 16 today.
The Blues had taken the lead in Russia both early and late, only to be pegged back in extra time by Magomed Ozdoev's spectacular strike.
The draw was costly in more ways than one, as it relegated Chelsea to second place at the end of the group stages, with Juventus narrowly edging out the reigning European champions.
While the Blues had already secured their place in the next round of the competition, they now face a more difficult road to defend the title they won against Manchester City last season.
However, ahead of the next round's draw, the Champions League takes on a slightly different hue than usual - one that Chelsea may not be all that familiar with.
According to UEFA, the away goals rule has been abolished, meaning that any ties that are still tied after 180 minutes of play will proceed to extra time and possibly a penalty shootout, regardless of how many goals each team has scored away from home during the match.
The rule was first implemented in 1995 to keep teams even on aggregate, and many clubs have experienced both the benefits and drawbacks of the rule.
UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin commented on the decision: "It's fair to say that home field advantage isn't as important as it used to be. UEFA's Executive Committee made the correct decision in adopting the view that an away goal should no longer carry more weight than one scored at home, taking into account the consistency of styles of play across Europe and many other factors that have led to a decline in home advantage."
Chelsea most recently benefited from the rule during the 2013-14 season, when, after drawing 3-3 on aggregate with Paris Saint-Germain, the Blues advanced thanks to Eden Hazard's goal at the Parc des Princes.
The Champions League round of 16 draw will take place on Monday, December 13 at 11 a.m., with coverage beginning at 10:45 a.m. on BT Sport, where Chelsea will learn their fate for sure who stands in their way of winning their second successive European crown this season.
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