Ajax impress, but waste their chances

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  • Ajax were playing in their first Champions League quarter-final since 2003 and will feel they should be taking a lead into the return leg in Italy.
    The Eredivisie leaders had 61% possession and 19 attempts, of which six were on target, while Juventus' goal came from their only effort on target.
    In front of a capacity crowd at the Johan Cruyff Arena, Ajax played some lovely one-touch football as they forced Juventus to defend deep and rely on counter-attacks.
    The impressive Hakim Ziyech was twice denied by away goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny, with the ex-Arsenal man producing a brilliant one-handed save to push a curling effort over the bar after earlier saving a low strike.
    Donny van de Beek also shot narrowly wide and Lasse Schone fired a free-kick over the top before Ronaldo's goal gave Juventus the lead.
    But Neres gave the hosts the equaliser they deserved within seconds of the restart as he cut inside from the left wing and curled the ball past Szczesny.
    Although disappointed to not have a lead, Ajax will not be daunted by the task facing them in six days' time and will remember what happened in the previous round.
    Image result for ajax pictureIn the last 16, they lost 2-1 at home in the first leg against reigning European champions Real Madrid before winning 4-1 in the second leg at the Bernabeu to book their place in the last eight.
  • Following a run of 24 wins in 28 knockout games at home in the European Cup/Champions League (drew three, lost one), Ajax are now winless in their past seven such matches (drew four, lost three), last tasting victory against Borussia Dortmund in the quarter-finals in 1995-96.
  • Juventus have progressed to the next round from six of the previous seven European Cup/Champions League ties in which they have drawn the first leg away from home; their one elimination came in their most recent such tie (v Manchester United in 1998-99 semi-final).
  • Ajax are winless in their past 10 matches with Juventus (won none, drew five, lost five), the joint-longest winless record of one side against another in all European competition, along with Benfica v Bayern Munich (also 10).
  • Juventus had no more than one shot on target in a Champions League encounter for the first time since April 2015, when they drew 0-0 in Monaco in the quarter-finals.
  • Each of Ajax's past 12 home goals in the Champions League have come in the second half of matches.
  • Juventus boss Massimiliano Allegri has faced Ajax five times in the Champions League without winning (played five, won none, drew four, lost one).
  • Thanks to his opening goal, Juventus striker Cristiano Ronaldo is now the joint-top goalscorer in the Champions League at the Johan Cruyff Arena with six goals (level with Zlatan Ibrahimovic).
  • Only Dusan Tadic (nine) has had a direct hand in more Ajax goals in the Champions League this season than David Neres (four - two goals, two assists).

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