Ajax, Salzburg and Inter crash out out of the Champions League

Ajax Amsterdam, Red Bull Salzburg and Internazionale have crashed out of the UEFA Champions League, now becoming a part of the Europa League. 

Ajax, the last year’s semi-finalists, failed to advance despite being on the top of the table before the last game of the round. Erik Ten Hag, as bad as it sounds, blamed luck for the loss against Valencia.

Rodrigo Moreno opened the game with the only goal in the 24th minute of the game. Chelsea’s victory over Lille also pushed last season’s semi-finalists to the third place in Group H.

Hakim Ziyech produced the best chance of the day for Ajax but the Valencia goalkeeper, Jaume Domenech made two saves, leaving Ten Hag’s team in grief. 

Ten Hag, in the post-match interview, said,” In football, you don’t always get what you deserve. That’s how I summarise this match.” He further agreed to the Spanish press, calling Valencia’s qualification, a ‘miracle’.

Coming to the other teams, the most unexpected one to drop into the Europa League was Inter Milan. 

Antonio Conte’s Inter failed to defeat a much-changed Barcelona 11 at San Siro. Conceding an early goal by Carles Perez, Inter clinched a goal back in their favour with the newly signed Belgian, Romelu Lukaku. 

It was his 12th goal of the season in all competitions, and was created by Lautaro Martinez.

The second half saw Inter playing a very high line with every player trying to take on Ernesto Valverde’s defense. 

Despite all their efforts, it was Ansu Fati, the 17-year-old Barcelona player, who scored the deciding goal just after a minute of being introduced in the game.

However, Conte insisted that he had ‘no complaints’. He also told the reporters that his team had enough chances to get the game in their favour, but that they needed to be more clinical.

At the Red Bull Arena, Salzburg lost 2-0 to a dominant Liverpool side, who kept a second clean sheet in a row, in all competitions. Liverpool scored their goals in the second half, both worthy of being the goal of the week.

Salzburg’s top scorer in all competions , Erling Braut Haland, was seen throwing a bottle on the ground in frustration, moments after conceding the second goal of the game. 

Mohamed Salah scored a goal from a very difficult angle, that too from his weaker foot. Liverpool boss, Jurgen Klopp, in the post-match interview, called it a ‘sensational one,’ also calling it their most difficult chance of the day. 

Salzburg, too, finishing on the third spot, will now contest in the Europa League.

Featured image credits- High Press Soccer