First Real Madrid and now Juventus beaten, as giant-killers Ajax take place in last four

Ajax stunned Juventus to reach the semi-finals of the Champions League with a 2-1 comeback win in Turin.

Cristiano Ronaldo gave Juventus the lead after 28 minutes with a record 126th goal in the competition, his ninth in seven meetings against Ajax. But goals from Donny Van De Beek and Matthijs De Ligt gave Ajax a thoroughly deserved 3-2 aggregate success.

Ajax will meet Manchester City or Tottenham in their first Champions League semi-final for 22 years and many will consider them underdogs again. But after eliminating Real Madrid, champions for the previous three seasons, and now Juventus, Erik Ten Hag’s exciting young side should not be underestimated.

Despite losing injured fullback Noussair Mazraoui inside the opening ten minutes, it was Ajax who almost struck the first blow. David Neres found space in a crowded penalty area and his deflected shot squirmed through to Van De Beek, who fired over the crossbar at full stretch.

Paulo Dybala saw his volley held by Andre Onana in Juventus’ first meaningful attack, but the hosts were soon ahead through a familiar source.

The unmarked Ronaldo met Mi ra lempjanic’ s corner with a trademark thunderous header asajaxcomplainedofafoulon Joel Veltman. Clement Turpin went to the sidelines for a VAR check, but the French referee’s closer inspection showed that Veltman’s team-mate De Ligt had actually pushed him to the ground.

But Ajax were level within six minutes when Hakim Ziyech’s shot fell into Van De Beek’s path and the midfielder made the most of his good fortune with an assured finish into the bottom corner.

The second half was on a knife edge and Ajax were determined to send men forward in search of a goal that would leave Juventus needing two and a mountain to climb.

The Dutch side’s attacking play was breathtaking at times and their pressure finally told on 67 minutes as De Ligt towered above Alex Sandro and Daniele Rugani to head Lasse Schone’s corner past a helpless Wojciech Szczesny.

Ajax should have scored more in the closing stages as Neres scuffed Dusan Tadic’s pass wide and Hakim Ziyech saw his pile-driver disallowed for offside. And they survived a few late Juve scares – including an unsuccessful penalty appeal that went to VAR – to become the first Dutch side to reachthelastfourofthechampions League since 2005.