The first legs of the UEFA Champions League Semifinals are over. These thrilling games determine the two teams that will face off for the title of Best in Europe in the finals. Here’s a look at what happened in the first legs of the two Semifinals games.
Tottenham Hotspur: 0
AFC Ajax: 1
This game was a close call as both teams were evenly matched. The possession was almost equally split up between the two teams. What set them apart was Ajax’s far superior ability to execute plays with great vision and make great plays. This allowed them to get ahead in the first half when van de Beek scored near the penalty box after four consecutive passes around the penalty area in the 14th minute. The player seemed to be offside during his shot, but no foul was called. The rest of the game was fairly bland as the ball went back and forth between the two teams who were not able to seize a single one of their opportunities. Tottenham had many opportunities for making a comeback such as two free kicks and many other shots, but almost all of them were off target or intercepted as the game went on goalless after van de Beek’s stunner.
FC Barcelona: 3
Liverpool: 0
To start the game off, Suarez scored from very close to the goalkeeper by finishing a strong shot from Rakitic. No other goals were scored in the first half, and possession of the ball stayed relatively balanced. In the second half, however, Barcelona’s strong offense was able to take advantage of the attacking opportunities they got. An example of this was in the 74th minute when Messi chased and netted a rebound of Suarez’s kick. Then, a few minutes later, Messi scored off a magnificent free kick to seal Liverpool’s fate. Nonetheless, Barcelona has one person to thank for this clean sheet. Their goalkeeper, ter Stegen, made agile saves throughout the game and was the main reason why Liverpool was unable to make a comeback or even a single goal.
Attacker of the Week: Lionel Messi
Defender of the Week: Mattias de Ligt
Goalkeeper of the Week: Marc-Andre ter Stegen
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