Uefa Champions League results

 

 Wednesday 13th February

Ajax 1 2 Real Madrid FT

Tottenham Hotspur 3 0 Borussia Dortmund FT

Tuesday 12th February

Manchester United 0 2 Paris Saint-Germain FT

Roma 2 1 FC Porto
         

Ajax 1-2 Real Madrid: VAR helps Madrid to edge past Dutch team

Real Madrid edged past Ajax 2-1 with the help of VAR, which was used for the first time in the Champions League to disallow a goal for the hosts.

Second-half goals from Karim Benzema (60) and Marco Asensio (87) either side of Hakim Ziyech's effort (75) hand Madrid a big advantage heading to the second leg at the Bernabeu.
However, Ajax thought they scored the all-important opening goal in the first half but Nicolas Tagliafico's header was ruled out by VAR due to a marginal offside call on Dusan Tadic, who was obstructing Thibaut Courtois.

Ajax were taking part in the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in 13 years and equipped themselves brilliantly for large periods.

Player Ratings

Ajax: Onana (6), Mazraoui (6), De Ligt (7), Blind (6), Tagliafico (7), Van de Beek (6), De Jong (6), Schone (6), Ziyech (7), Neres (6), Tadic (8)

Subs: Dolberg (5)

Real Madrid: Courtois (7), Carvajal (7), Ramos (7), Nacho (7), Reguilón (6), Casemiro (7), Modric (7), Kroos (7), Bale (6), Benzema (7), Vinicius (7)

Subs: Asensio (8), Vazquez (6), Diaz (6)

Man of the match: Dusan Tadic

Tadic came within inches of giving his side the lead on 26 minutes but his swerving effort from 20 yards came crashing back off the post.
Courtois was called into action minutes later to block away a Ziyech chance after some incisive build-up play from Ajax.
Then came the historic use of VAR.
Ajax's players wheeled away in celebration as Tagliafico reacted quickest to a fumble by Courtois. With the players all set to restart, the referee held the play to speak with the VAR officials. They instructed him to take a look at the incident on the pitch-side monitor and he eventually ruled out the goal with Tadic marginally offside as he slightly obstructed Courtois.
Real awoke from their slumber on the hour mark as Vinicius chased a ball over the top and stayed cool to find Benzema, who swept home a powerful finish into the top corner.
Ajax responded with 15 minutes remaining with Ziyech finished off a low cross from the left.
A draw would have kept Ajax's hopes alive in the second leg, however, substitute Asensio capped an impressive showing from the bench to finish off a flowing move down the right.

Man of the match: Dusan Tadic

Southampton fans may raise an eyebrow at this considering the level of player on show but the Serbian was a constant threat playing as a lone striker. His movement to drift into space in front and behind Sergio Ramos laid the platform for Ajax to play their expansive attacking game that deserved more reward than they got.

• Ajax have lost their last seven games in European competition against Real Madrid, scoring only three goals and conceding 22.
• Real Madrid have won six of their last seven Champions League away games in the knockout stages (L1), winning each of the last four.
• Benzema has either scored or assisted a goal in each of his six Champions League matches against Ajax (4 goals, 4 assists).
• Vinícius Júnior has provided eight assists in all competitions for Real Madrid - more than any of his teammates.
• Sergio Ramos made his 600th appearance for Real Madrid in all competitions against Ajax - the seventh different player to achieve this landmark.

                    

Tottenham 3-0 Borussia Dortmund: Heung-Min Son, Jan Vertonghen and Fernando Llorente score

 

Tottenham produced a scintillating second-half performance to beat Borussia Dortmund 3-0 in the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie at Wembley.

Heung-Min Son scored for the fourth game in a row to put Spurs ahead in the 47th minute.
Jan Vertonghen then volleyed in from Serge Aurier's cross in the 83rd minute before substitute Fernando Llorente headed in from a corner (86).

Player ratings

Tottenham: Lloris (7), Aurier (8), Alderweireld (8), Sanchez (7), Foyth (7), Vertonghen (9), Winks (7), Sissoko (7), Eriksen (7), Lucas (7), Son (8)

Subs: Llorente (6), Lamela (N/A), Wanyama (N/A).

Dortmund: Burki (5), Hakimi (5), Zagadou (5), Toprak (5), Diallo (5), Witsel (5), Delaney (5), Dahoud (5), Sancho (5), Pulisic (5), Gotze (5)

Subs: Schmelzer (5), Guerreiro (5), Larsen (5)

Man of the match: Jan Vertonghen

Dortmund looked shell-shocked and now have a mountain to climb in the return leg on March 5.
The Bundesliga leaders had looked the brighter side in the first half but they could not match Spurs when they raised their level after half-time.
Son's goal - his ninth in 11 games against Dortmund - set the tone for a dominant finish from Mauricio Pochettino's side that has put them on the brink of the last eight for the first time since 2011.
Such a one-sided result in favour of Tottenham looked unlikely early in the game as Dortmund started positively.
Spurs did see an eighth-minute shot from Lucas Moura whistle just past the post, but they were fortunate not to fall behind when Juan Foyth lost the ball in his own box and Christian Pulisic failed to beat Lloris at the near post.
The lively Jadon Sancho asked questions of Tottenham's defence, but Dortmund could not find the final pass.
Thomas Delaney's shot from outside the box was palmed out by Hugo Lloris before Spurs started to threaten as Christian Eriksen fired over and then Roman Burki saved with an outstretched leg from Son.
Dortmund went close to breaking the deadlock late in the first half but Lloris produced a brilliant diving save to claw away a header from Dan-Axel Zagadou on the line.
Spurs looked a team transformed after half-time as they attacked with more vigour and intensity.
Son opened the scoring in the 47th minute when he volleyed in from Vertonghen's cross, before Vertonghen fired over after a driving run and then Eriksen shot at Burki.
Dortmund were pinned back inside their own half and Spurs added to their lead late in the game.

Team news

Juan Foyth, who hasn't played in the Premier League in 2019 and wasn't included in Spurs' squad for the Champions League group stages, started in a five-man defence along with Serge Aurier.

Dortmund were without Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer so Mario Gotze started as a false nine.

Vertonghen finished from Aurier's excellent cross before Llorente headed in from a corner to put Spurs in firm control of the tie.

Man of the match - Jan Vertonghen

The defender scored and assisted in the same game for only the second time in his Tottenham career. He pushed forward more in the second half which allowed Spurs to sustain attacks and also meant Sancho was not as effective.

What's next?

Tottenham's next match is at Burnley on Saturday, January 23, live on Sky Sports. They then face Chelsea (Wednesday, February 27) and Arsenal (Saturday, March 2) before the return leg against Dortmund on Tuesday,