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Juve’s old guard bidding to finish job against Ajax kids
TURIN, Italy, April 15, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo will
spearhead Juventus’ old guard as they look to finish the job on Tuesday
against Ajax’s impressive young guns in a quarter-final clash between two
sides desperate to end years of Champions League heartbreak.
Juventus have the edge on away goals thanks to Ronaldo’s 125th Champions
League goal in a 1-1 draw in Amsterdam, but Ajax’s David Neres ensured the
teams will start on a knife-edge in Turin in a repeat of the 1973 and 1996
finals.
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.
Massimiliano Allegri lined out with a young squad against lowly SPAL on
Saturday and the champions fell to a 2-1 defeat when a point would have
sufficed for another Scudetto.
“The Scudetto will come sooner or later,” said Allegri, whose side hold
a 17-point lead on second-placed Napoli with six games left.
“If we had put all our starters in, it would have been easier to win it,
but there is the goal to obtain on Tuesday.”
Juventus have won the Champions League twice, most recently in 1996 when
they beat Ajax in the final.
Four-time winners Ajax won their third consecutive title in 1973 at the
expense of Juventus, last lifting the trophy in 1995.
Allegri said he was prepared for “a difficult match against a very
impressive team”.
Ronaldo was rested at the weekend along with regulars Leonardo Bonucci,
Blaise Matuidi, Alex Sandro, Mario Mandzukic and Miralem Pjanic.
Teenager Moise Kean’s fine form continued with the 19-year-old scoring
his sixth goal in as many games.
Captain Giorgio Chiellini, however, remains a doubt with the 34-year-old
defender recovering from a calf injury, with Daniele Rugani a possible
replacement.
But Ronaldo remains Juve’s key weapon.
The 34-year-old was signed for 100 million euros ($117 million) last
summer, and pocketed an annual 31 million-euro salary to help Juventus win a
competition they have finished runners-up in a record seven times, most
recently in 2015 and 2017.
Ronaldo has played a leading role in all of his five previous European
triumphs, including with the tie-clinching, 97th-minute penalty for Real
Madrid against Juventus last season in the quarters.
He has scored five goals this campaign, one against Manchester United
and a hat-trick which rescued Juventus in the last 16, second leg against
Atletico, before returning from injury to score against Ajax.
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– De Jong doubt –
The financial clout of Dutch league leaders Ajax is significantly less
than Juventus.
The club, who are captained by 19-year-old defender Matthijs de Ligt,
spent a reported club-record 45 million euros last summer on new signings to
bolster their Champions League hopes.
Defensive midfielder Daley Blind arrived from Manchester United, and
forward Dusan Tadic from Southampton, to provide leadership for a young squad
where the average age is 24 years.
Ajax’s strike-force of 22-year-old Neres, Dusan Tadic and Hakim Ziyech
have proven effective this season.
Veteran Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, 35, also hit form with a hat-trick in a 6-2
win over Excelsior in the Dutch league at the weekend.
But midfielder Frenkie de Jong, 21, is uncertain to start after going
off clutching his hamstring.
Neres stole the limelight with his seventh goal in eight games against
Juventus in Amsterdam, but Barcelona-bound De Jong was outstanding in
midfield.
Both teams produced memorable second-leg comebacks in the round of 16.
Ajax overturned a 2-1 home defeat by Real Madrid to oust the three-time
holders with a stunning 4-1 victory at the Santiago Bernabeu to reach their
first quarter-final since 2003.
Ronaldo’s hat-trick rescued Juventus, who lost 2-0 against Atletico
Madrid in Spain.
While Juve are looking to reach a third semi-final in five seasons, Ajax
have not made it to the last four since 1997.
The winners would go through to a semi-final against the winners of the
all-English tie between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur.
BSS/AFP/MSY/0810 hrs