FIRST SEMI'S FOR AJAX SINCE-97
By:-Tanmay Kar
Ajax's splendid performance led Juventus to their elimination by passing win of 2-1 away and end the Serie A team's dreams of winning the Champions League.
Ajax's 19-year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt headed the winner from the corner in the 67th minute of the quarterfinal second leg as the Dutch side came from behind to clinch a 3-2 aggregate win and reach the semi's after a long wait of 22years.
Ronaldo, aiming for a fourth consecutive Champions League title after winning the last three with Real Madrid, put Juventus ahead in the 28th minute with a typically classy header, his sixth goal of the competition.But Donny van de Beek levelled the score six minutes later before the visitors swept Juventus aside in the second half with wave after wave of attacks as they earned a semifinal against Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur.
Juventus were forced to replace Paulo Dybala with Moise Kean at the start of the second half, but it was Ajax who seized control as Matthijs de Ligt rose to power home Lasse Schone's corner, leaving Juventus needing two goals in the final 23 minutes.
Ajax had the chance to kill the contest but Hakim Ziyech's shot was ruled out for offside. However, Erik ten Hag's side were good value for their victory - and will face either Manchester City or Tottenham for a place in the final.
As a side, Ajax - who were 250/1 outsiders to lift the trophy in Madrid back in September - brought the perfect game plan to nullify their opponents, with Hakim Ziyech, Dusan Tadic and David Neres providing a constant outlet on the counter-attack.But it was Juventus who took the lead against the run of play as Miralem Pjanic's corner was headed in by Ronaldo. Referee Clement Turpin consulted his VAR officials after Joel Veltman fell inside the box, but it was his own team-mate De Ligt who was the perpetrator.
The goal did nothing to change Ajax's mentality, largely as they knew they needed to score at the start of the night, and they duly levelled as Van de Beek controlled Ziyech's shot before sliding his effort beyond Wojciech Szczesny. Referee Turpin again checked - to see if the Ajax midfielder was offside - but there had been no infringement.
Man of the match - Matthijs de Ligt
It takes something special to stop Ronaldo in his search for a fourth straight Champions League honour, but the serial winner came up against the Dutch wall on Tuesday.
Matthijs de Ligt is the youngest Dutch player to score in a Champions League knockout match (19y 246d) since Nordin Wooter in April 1996.Matthijs de Ligt is the youngest Dutch player to score in a Champions League knockout match (19y 246d) since Nordin Wooter in April 1996
De Ligt's stock continues to rise, and it is easy to see why Barcelona are keen to add him to the signing of Frenkie de Jong this summer.
"Can we can go on to win the competition? Well, we are in the semifinals now. And we have eliminated two of the favourites in the last two rounds. The next games will be very difficult, but so were these ones. So who knows?," said De Ligt.
Frenkie de Jong added: "We dominated after the break and were well worth our victory. In fact, we probably should have won by more."
Ajax settled well after that but, despite not playing well,
Juventus went ahead when Ronaldo got away from the defenders to score the 126th Champions League goal of his career.
Ajax's splendid performance led Juventus to their elimination by passing win of 2-1 away and end the Serie A team's dreams of winning the Champions League.
Ajax's 19-year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt headed the winner from the corner in the 67th minute of the quarterfinal second leg as the Dutch side came from behind to clinch a 3-2 aggregate win and reach the semi's after a long wait of 22years.
Ronaldo, aiming for a fourth consecutive Champions League title after winning the last three with Real Madrid, put Juventus ahead in the 28th minute with a typically classy header, his sixth goal of the competition.But Donny van de Beek levelled the score six minutes later before the visitors swept Juventus aside in the second half with wave after wave of attacks as they earned a semifinal against Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur.
Juventus were forced to replace Paulo Dybala with Moise Kean at the start of the second half, but it was Ajax who seized control as Matthijs de Ligt rose to power home Lasse Schone's corner, leaving Juventus needing two goals in the final 23 minutes.
Ajax had the chance to kill the contest but Hakim Ziyech's shot was ruled out for offside. However, Erik ten Hag's side were good value for their victory - and will face either Manchester City or Tottenham for a place in the final.
Ronaldo hitting the header in 28th minute.
As a side, Ajax - who were 250/1 outsiders to lift the trophy in Madrid back in September - brought the perfect game plan to nullify their opponents, with Hakim Ziyech, Dusan Tadic and David Neres providing a constant outlet on the counter-attack.But it was Juventus who took the lead against the run of play as Miralem Pjanic's corner was headed in by Ronaldo. Referee Clement Turpin consulted his VAR officials after Joel Veltman fell inside the box, but it was his own team-mate De Ligt who was the perpetrator.
The goal did nothing to change Ajax's mentality, largely as they knew they needed to score at the start of the night, and they duly levelled as Van de Beek controlled Ziyech's shot before sliding his effort beyond Wojciech Szczesny. Referee Turpin again checked - to see if the Ajax midfielder was offside - but there had been no infringement.
Man of the match - Matthijs de Ligt
It takes something special to stop Ronaldo in his search for a fourth straight Champions League honour, but the serial winner came up against the Dutch wall on Tuesday.
Matthijs de Ligt is the youngest Dutch player to score in a Champions League knockout match (19y 246d) since Nordin Wooter in April 1996.Matthijs de Ligt is the youngest Dutch player to score in a Champions League knockout match (19y 246d) since Nordin Wooter in April 1996
De Ligt's stock continues to rise, and it is easy to see why Barcelona are keen to add him to the signing of Frenkie de Jong this summer.
"Can we can go on to win the competition? Well, we are in the semifinals now. And we have eliminated two of the favourites in the last two rounds. The next games will be very difficult, but so were these ones. So who knows?," said De Ligt.
Frenkie de Jong added: "We dominated after the break and were well worth our victory. In fact, we probably should have won by more."
Ajax settled well after that but, despite not playing well,
Juventus went ahead when Ronaldo got away from the defenders to score the 126th Champions League goal of his career.
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