Leeds: Barcelona defeated Manchester United in the first leg of the quarterfinal in the Champions League on Wednesday after Luke Shaw scored an own goal at Old Trafford. Shaw turned Luis Suarez’s header into his own net just after 12 minutes of the game, giving Barca an early lead which they kept throughout and handed over United a 1-0 defeat.
Whereas, Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo head his team to a first-half lead which did not last long as the score was levelled at the beginning of the second half and the match concluded on the same, resulting in a tie between Juventus and Ajax in the quarterfinal of Champions League. Ronaldo, after many speculations of whether he will be participating in the quarterfinal or not, returned from an injury which he took while playing for Portugal last month.
The 34-year old scored the opening goal of the match. However, David Neres scored the equalizer immediately after half time to give Ajax a draw. Manchester United have another monumental task on their hands in the Champions League after Luke Shaw’s own goal. Shaw turned Luis Suarez’s header into his own net after just 12 minutes and despite being far from their best, Barca comfortably held out to edge towards a first Champions League semi-final in four years.
United produced one of the European Cup’s finest ever comebacks from a 2-0 first-leg defeat at home to Paris Saint-Germain in the last 16.However, on the ground where manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer completed another famous fightback to win the competition as a player in 1999, United must repeat the trick at the Camp Nou in six days’ time.
Much has been made of Suarez’s Champions League goal drought on the road and while the Uruguayan has still not officially netted an away goal in the competition since September 2015, he had a huge hand in Barca’s winner. Lionel Messi drifted in behind the United defence and his cross hung up to the back post was headed goalwards by Suarez, the ball flicking off Shaw on its way past David de Gea. An errant offside flag briefly threatened to spoil Suarez’s delight. However, the goal was quickly given on a VAR review and the former Liverpool striker took extra glee at having the last laugh with a fist pump in front of the Stretford End.
Cristiano Ronaldo marked his return from injury with a precious away goal as Juventus drew 1-1 with an excellent Ajax in the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final in Amsterdam. Ronaldo subdued the 50,000 home fans in the Johan Cruyff Arena when he headed Juventus in front on the stroke of half-time to take his record goal tally in the competition to 125 on Wednesday.
However, Brazilian winger David Neres conjured a stunning equaliser almost immediately after half-time to give Ajax a draw that was the very least they deserved. Despite that, it is Juventus, for whom substitute Douglas Costa struck a post late on, who hold the upper hand heading into next Tuesday’s return in Turin, with the winners of this tie facing Manchester City or Tottenham Hotspur in the last four.
