Juventus vs. Ajax Amsterdam - Football Match Report

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Ronaldo failed to reach the semi-finals for the first time since 2009-10 as Juve's quest for European glory fell short again, but Valverde said there were no guarantees for any club.

Even going behind to a goal from Ronaldo in the first half didn't faze Ajax's young players as Donny van de Beek leveled shortly after and 19-year-old captain Matthijs de Ligt scored the victor in the second half.

Ronaldo will be 35 next year but he will no doubt be eager to win the Champions League for the sixth time in Istanbul.

Ajax boss Erik ten Hag is confident ahead of the tie. Real Madrid, of course, had already learnt that lesson: Sergio Ramos hilariously getting himself intentionally suspended only to watch his side played off the field in the 4-1 loss at the Santiago Bernabeu.

Ajax had chances for further goals and Ronaldo's frustration boiled over in stoppage time when he was booked for a lunging tackle from behind near the centre circle. We had a hard time coming out of the pressure, but allowed Juventus nearly nothing.

Juventus have put their bid to wrap up an eighth consecutive Serie A title on the back burner as they focus on their European ambitions.

The commitment to developing footballers has been central to Ajax's ethos since former player Rinus Michels turned up as the club's new manager in 1965. For a 19-year-old, he's showing maturity and leadership beyond his years.

"Everyone is going insane, Ajax are in the semi-final!"

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United have beaten Juventus and Paris St Germain away in this season's Champions League, but Solskjaer said getting past Barcelona would be a "greater achievement".

Allegri, however, said that Juventus were "absolutely not" over-dependent on Ronaldo.

Just thinking about it is mind-boggling.

But goals from Donny Van De Beek and Matthijs De Ligt gave Ajax a thoroughly deserved 3-2 aggregate success.

The competition's all-time top goalscorer is on 125 goals, achieved as part of the teams of Manchester United, Real Madrid, and now Juventus. So, when paired with Ajax, many assumed it was another run to the quarter-finals, which they've been accustomed to.

Ajax shares, on the other hand, were up 7.9 per cent this morning after their young team beat the experienced Italian side 2-1 on the night, defying the odds in Turin after a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam last week. But no one could have foreseen the evening in Madrid on March 5, 2019.

For Juventus, it's a setback for the team backed by the billionaire Agnelli family, whose purchase of Ronaldo previous year was seen in part as driven by a desire to win Europe's top club competition.

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