Juventus 1-2 Ajax (agg 2-3): Brilliant Ajax win to knock out Juve

By Mike HensonBBC Sport

Last updated on 16 April 2019.From the section European Football306

Ajax's sensational Champions League run continued as teenage captain Matthijs de Ligt's goal eliminated Juventus and secured their place in the semi-finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo, a five-time winner of the tournament, headed the hosts in front from a first-half corner.

But Ajax battled level as Donny van de Beek controlled Hakim Ziyech's shot and slotted past Wojciech Szczesny.

Ziyech went close after the break before De Ligt, up from the back, scored a decisive, powerful header.

The away-goals rule left Juventus needing two in the remaining 23 minutes, but it could have been even more comfortable for the visitors in the closing stages with David Neres shooting wide and Ziyech flagged offside after whipping a smart shot into the top corner.

Ronaldo, who picked up a late yellow card for a frustrated lunge at Joel Veltman, stalked off the pitch at the final whistle, having been knocked out of the competition for the first time since Juventus beat his previous club Real Madrid in May 2015.

Meanwhile, as they did after their sensational away win over Real Madrid in the previous round, Ajax's youthful side bounced in front of their raucous band of supporters and home fans streamed out the exits.

Ajax will face the winner of Manchester City and Tottenham's quarter-final, which Spurs lead 1-0 before Wednesday's second leg at Etihad Stadium.

Back to big time

Ajax celebrated long and loud at the final whistle

Victory marks Ajax's return to the last four of Europe's premier competition for the first time since a team containing Daley Blind's father Danny, Marc Overmars and Ronald de Boer were beaten in the 1997 semi-finals - by Juventus.

Without an automatic group-stage place for the Eredivisie, the current side started their Champions League campaign as 250-1 outsiders in July's qualifying rounds.

However, their attacking exuberance and unwavering belief in their ability to match the continent's best was summed up by De Ligt.

The 19-year-old captain was found wanting for Ronaldo's opener, unable to track the Portuguese's run through a packed penalty area and leaving him free for the 98th headed goal of his career.

Ajax tweet — Ajax's social media team made light of the rumours of bids for their leading players in the wake of their win. Marc Overmars, a member of the club's 1995 Champions League winning side, is the current director of fooball.

However, after regaining his defensive composure, De Ligt completed his redemption from Ajax's own set-piece, planting a downward header past a rooted Szczesny.

This season will be this Ajax side's only shot at regaining the trophy they last won in 1995.

Manager Erik ten Hag has admitted De Ligt will leave at the end of the season, while team-mate Frenkie de Jong, 21, has already agreed a summer move to Barcelona. Dangerous wide attacker David Neres, meanwhile, has been linked with a move to the Premier League.

End of an era

Cristiano Ronaldo — Ronaldo has scored 126 goals in the Champions League, with 65 of those coming in the knockout stages - both the most of any player in competition history.

Ronaldo, recruited at a cost of £99.2m in the summer, was intended to provide the final piece of Champions League-winning know-how for a Juventus side that had lost two finals in the previous four seasons.

A second-leg hat-trick dragged his side to victory over Atletico Madrid in the last 16, but his dreams of matching former Ajax, Real Madrid and AC Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf by lifting the trophy with a third different club were wrecked by Ajax's collective brilliance.

Instead, he will be absent from the last four for the first time since 2010.

Funds allowing, manager Massimiliano Allegri may contemplate more additions to his squad this summer to try to add continental success to their domestic dominance.

Man of the match - Hakim Ziyech

Match stats

Ajax have qualified for the semi-finals of the European Cup/Champions League for the ninth time in their history, and the first since the 1996-97 season.
Ajax are the first team from outside the traditional top five European leagues to reach the Champions League semi-final since 2004-05, when fellow Dutch side PSV Eindhoven did so.
Juventus have lost two home games in a single European Cup/Champions League campaign for the first time in their history (1-2 v both Manchester United and Ajax).
Ajax have scored 155 goals this season across all competitions, their joint-most in a single season in club history (also 155 in 2009-10).
This was Ajax's third consecutive away win in the Champions League; their longest such streak since between November 1995 and March 1997 (seven wins).
Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo has netted nine goals against Ajax in the Champions League - only against his current club Juventus (10) has he scored more against a single opponent in the competition.
Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt is the youngest Dutch player to score in a Champions League knockout match (19 years 246 days) since Nordin Wooter in April 1996 for Ajax versus Panathinaikos (19 years 237 days).

Line-ups
Match Stats
Live Text

Line-ups

Juventus

Formation 4-4-2

1Szczesny
2De SciglioSubstituted forCanceloat 64'minutes
19Bonucci
24Rugani
12Alex Sandro
33BernardeschiSubstituted forBentancurat 80'minutes
23CanBooked at 69mins
5Pjanic
14Matuidi
10DybalaSubstituted forKeanat 45'minutes
7Cristiano RonaldoBooked at 90mins

Substitutes

6Khedira
15Barzagli
18Kean
20Cancelo
21Pinsoglio
30Bentancur
37Spinazzola

Ajax

Formation 4-2-3-1

24Onana
3Veltman
4de Ligt
17Blind
12MazraouiSubstituted forSinkgravenat 11'minutesSubstituted forMagallánat 82'minutes
20Schöne
21F de Jong
22ZiyechSubstituted forHuntelaarat 88'minutes
6van de Beek
7Neres
10Tadic

Substitutes

8Sinkgraven
9Huntelaar
16Magallán
25Dolberg
28Semedo Varela
30de Wit
40Ekkelenkamp

Referee:: Clément Turpin
Attendance:: 41,445

Match Stats

Home TeamJuventusAway TeamAjax

Possession: Home51%; Away49%

Shots: Home13; Away14

Shots on Target: Home3; Away4

Corners: Home4; Away5

Fouls: Home14; Away12

Live Text

Post update
Match ends, Juventus 1, Ajax 2.
90'+4'
Full Time
Second Half ends, Juventus 1, Ajax 2.

90'+3'
Booking
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
90'+3'
Post update
Foul by Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus).
90'+3'
Post update
Joël Veltman (Ajax) wins a free kick on the right wing.
90'+2'
Post update
Foul by Leonardo Bonucci (Juventus).
90'+2'
Post update
Lasse Schöne (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
90'
Post update
Foul by João Cancelo (Juventus).
90'
Post update
Dusan Tadic (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
89'
Post update
Foul by Lasse Schöne (Ajax).
89'
Post update
Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
88'
Substitution
Substitution, Ajax. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar replaces Hakim Ziyech.
87'
Post update
Dusan Tadic (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
87'
Post update
Foul by Daniele Rugani (Juventus).
85'
Post update
Hand ball by Alex Sandro (Juventus).
84'
Post update
Donny van de Beek (Ajax) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
84'
Post update
Foul by Miralem Pjanic (Juventus).
83'
Post update
Attempt missed. Lasse Schöne (Ajax) right footed shot from the centre of the box misses to the right.
82'
Substitution
Substitution, Ajax. Lisandro Magallán replaces Daley Sinkgraven.
81'
Post update
Offside, Juventus. Emre Can tries a through ball, but Cristiano Ronaldo is caught offside.

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Comments

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306 comments

Comment posted by sg90, at 22:27 16 Apr 2019
Delighted to see Ajax back. A proper club who develop their own home grown talent and sadly have it robbed off them from the money clubs. But they never stop producing. They are fearless and attacked all game, even when defending their lead. EPL teams could learn a lot from them.
Comment posted by Googly, at 22:26 16 Apr 2019
On behalf of neutral fans across Europe (for the second round in a row) - well done, Ajax, and thank you!
Comment posted by Voice of Reason, at 22:26 16 Apr 2019
Glad that Ronaldo is not going to win this again. Didn't have the decency to congratulate his opponents after the game
Comment posted by Paris, at 22:57 16 Apr 2019
And Ronaldo just walking of as quickly as he can & not congratulating or showing respect to those young Ajax players, some of them who've grown up as kids watching in awe of Ronaldo's skill, shows his petulance and just what he thinks of everyone else.
He was arrogant at united, a petulant ego at Real.......and a disgrace at Juve. At least Ajax have earn't the respect from the rest of Europe!
Comment posted by greenster, at 22:28 16 Apr 2019
Ronaldo's face at the end = PRICELESS
Comment posted by Tom, at 22:29 16 Apr 2019
This Ajax side is a joy to watch - it is just a shame that it will probably be picked apart by vultures sooner rather than later...
Comment posted by LeotheWhiteLion, at 22:25 16 Apr 2019
Wow. Bravo Ajax. We're all rooting for you.
Comment posted by User0293225424, at 22:26 16 Apr 2019
Ajax are a joy to watch. They do make some naive decisions when attacking, but when they got it right they ripped apart one of Europe's best defences. They even totally dominated the second half. Lets hope they show Man City or Tottenham another lesson like they did Real and Juventus!
Comment posted by yousaidthatandnowisaidthis, at 22:29 16 Apr 2019
Shame Ajax will lose their best players again.

But that's how the Dutch league works, shopping window for the bigger leagues.
Comment posted by The Reds, at 22:27 16 Apr 2019
Great result for football, real David vs Goliath story. Juventus is everything wrong with football, whilst Ajax is quite literally the opposite.

Bye bye juve, we won't miss you!
Comment posted by LuThe, at 22:29 16 Apr 2019
Absolutely brilliant from Ajax!

If only their finishing was a fraction of their build-up tonight then Juve may have had a record home defeat!

Ziyech, Neres, De Ligt, de Jong, all excellent.

Then add back Tadic to the mix too...

Watvhed this in preference to the ManU game in hope and expectation of such a result.

City or Spurs for them next. That'll be a great game too.
Comment posted by Googly, at 23:30 16 Apr 2019
It might be a tight call whether Ronaldo or Messi is the better player, but Ronaldo will be remembered as classless in victory and classless in defeat.

Never congrats the winner when he loses.
Comment posted by Ruud Bullit, at 22:43 16 Apr 2019
Ajax have been superb home and away against Real and Juventus.

I can see them reaching the final.

On paper city and Spurs are better but they would still have to bring their A-game. Ajax are hungrier and more energetic than any other team. They have played the best football of any team in the UCL this year (including Barca and City).

Just win it once before you get raided.
Comment posted by MERCEDES, at 23:37 16 Apr 2019
I am Dutch so you can imagine how proud and happy I am! Football won again tonight, as these youngsters play proper football, fearless and above all fair! Without theatrics or other play-acting. Can this dream actually come true? It means we will have to beat an English team, but I know we won many hearts already in Britain. We will be forgiven! With that, the English are good sports!
Comment posted by andyw, at 22:33 16 Apr 2019
What a match, especially 2nd half Ajax were brilliant and could have scored more. A bonus that CR7 is out of the Champions league! The game only marred in the last few minutes by a couple of cynical tackles by Juve...sour grapes, you were outclassed.
Comment posted by Dutch, at 22:40 16 Apr 2019
Mister Ronaldo : Your sportsmanship is lacking . You didn't congratulate your opponent .

I say : You fired mister
Comment posted by Muya N, at 22:42 16 Apr 2019
What a breath of fresh air watching pure and unadulterated football by a bunch of super talented lads, goes to show that success can not always be bought. At last, football won over money. Well done fellas
Comment posted by D1710644481015, at 22:33 16 Apr 2019
Absolutely ecstatic that dutch football is back where it belongs.
"Total football"(Johann Cruyff) was a joy to watch for ALL football supporters
and after years of struggle AJAX are back....big time.
Away at Juve in Turin and having more shots and opportunities is amazing.
It is a refreshing belief now that dutch football will get back to were it was.
So well done Ajax , love it thanks x
Comment posted by Driving_to_test_my_eyesight_since_1953, at 22:29 16 Apr 2019
Don't cry for me Cristianooooooooooooo............
Comment posted by Finkelstein, at 22:29 16 Apr 2019
Ajax were simply brilliant. Full of running and full of skill from start to finish. As a neutral I would love to see them go all the way the great Johan Cruyff would be proud of them as he looks down from heaven.