Here’s what happened on Tuesday in the UEFA Champions League, in case you missed it…
READ ALL ABOUT IT
• FC Barcelona 3, Manchester United 0: Game story || Game stats
• Juventus 1, Ajax 2: Game story || Game stats
THE MAIN STORY
Messi marches on, Ronaldo bows out: Tuesday was set up to be one of those magical European nights, with the two biggest stars in the game – some would argue in all of sports – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo taking centre stage.
The two rivals entered their respective second-leg, home matches with their teams holding the advantage, but only one remains in the most prestigious club tournament in the world. The other won’t be playing in the semifinals of the competition for the first time in nearly a decade.
After being beaten and bloodied last week at Old Tafford, Messi exacted revenge at Camp Nou, slaloming his way through the Red Devils’ defence to score an exquisite opener from distance that beat no less of a goalkeeper than David De Gea. Minutes later, Messi doubled Barcelona’s advantage, slipping a shot underneath De Gea that he should have stopped. It wasn’t even halfway through the opening stanza, but Messi had decided the matter.
Philippe Coutinho’s goal just after the hour-mark put the game beyond doubt, but it was Messi’s magic on the night that sent the Blaugrana through to the final four of the Champions League for the first time since 2015.
Messi’s counterpart didn’t fare as well. It looked like Juventus was going to romp to victory when Ronaldo scored a bullet header off a corner kick to give the Italians a first-half lead.
But resolute Ajax was undeterred, equalizing almost immediately, and wrestling control of the game from the Bianconeri with their athleticism and work ethic, precise pressing game, technical precision in midfield, and uncanny ability to retain possession. Juve was no match for the Dutch side’s youthful legs, and not even Ronaldo, the hat trick hero from the quarterfinals, could rescue the Serie A champions this time.
While Ajax deservedly advanced to the semis for the first time in 22 years, Tuesday’s result ensured Ronaldo will not compete in the final four of the Champions League for the first time in nine years.
BEST GOAL
In the 16th minute, Manchester United’s Ashley Young gave possession away to Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. The Argentine then swept past Man United’s Fred, cut inside off the left flank and unleashed a low curler from outside the box that whizzed past the outstretched David De Gea and nestled inside the far post. Breathless!
BEST MOMENT
BEST TWEET
WORTH REPEATING
BURNING QUESTION
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THE GAME WITHIN THE GAME
A pretty comfortable night at Camp Nou from Barcelona, who dominated Manchester United in all aspects of the game right form the opening kickoff.
SIX PACK OF STATS
• Barcelona is unbeaten in 31 Champions League home games (with 28 wins), the longest run in the competition.
• Cristiano 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.
• English teams have won just one of their last 24 Champions League knockout matches against Spanish opponents (with 16 losses).
• Ajax is the first team in history to reach the Champions League semifinal after surviving three qualifying rounds.
• Manchester United have lost on aggregate by four or more goals in a two-legged European knockout series for the first time in club history.
• Matthijs de Ligt is the youngest Dutch player for Ajax to score in a Champions League knockout match (19 years, 246 days) since Nordin Wooter in April 1996 vs. Panathinaikos (19 years 237 days).
Stats courtesy of Opta
THREE STARS
1) Lionel Messi, FC Barcelona: The magical Argentine sunk Manchester United with a two-goal effort at Camp Nou.
2) Matthijs de Ligt, Ajax: The Dutch teenage masterfully anchored Ajax’s defence and scored the winner.
3) Frenkie De Jong, Ajax: A tower of strength and exuded calmness under pressure in midfield for the Dutch.
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