Champions League
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| Photo from BBC Sport |
Ajax scored early on in North London to take a slim lead home in the Champions League semi-final.
Donny van de Beek scored on 15 minutes, steering the ball cleverly past Hugo Lloris, after a brilliantly disguised pass that saw the goalscorer in behind the defence.
After a VAR check the goal was allowed, van de Beek brilliantly timing his run to avoid the offside.
Without the injured Harry Kane and suspended Son Heung-Min, Spurs struggled to breakdown their youthful opponents.
Jan Vertonghen was lost to a facial injury in the first half, further adding to the task at hand.
The Belgian's problem raised questions about player welfare after being allowed to continue after the injury, despite being badly shaken up from his aerial collision with fellow-former-Ajax defender Toby Alderweireld and goalkeeper Andre Onana.
He eventually had to be supported by two members of the Spurs staff as he went off.
Tottenham had plenty of possession after the break, but Ajax came closer to scoring the next goal, with David Neres hitting the inside of the right post from a left footed strike.
Ajax held on to their lead in relative comfort and it will need a stirring Spurs comeback to prevent the Dutch side featuring in the final on 1 June.
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| Photo from BBC Sport |
Lionel Messi starred at Camp Nou to give Barcelona a three goal lead going into the semi-final second leg.
The Argentine scored two in the second half, the second of which was his 600th for the Catalans, in a match in which Liverpool will feel unlucky not to have scored.
Luis Suarez scored in the first period, the Uruguayan getting the final touch after a brilliantly whipped cross from Jordi Alba that left the Liverpool defence stunned.
The former Liverpool striker's goal in the 26th minute came as the visitors were in the ascendancy, after which the wind was knocked from their sails.
Messi's first showed his attacking intelligence, being the first to react after a Suarez shot ricocheted off the bar before chesting and calmly placing the ball in the empty goal.
But his second couldn't be any more different, a sensational 25-yard free kick, that was placed perfectly in the top corner, which left one of the world's best goalkeepers helpless, despite diving and stretching to his full extent, Alisson got nowhere near the ball.
It was a very much fitting goal for the landmark of 600 Barcelona goals.
Liverpool should have scored a potentially crucial away goal when Roberto Firmino's strike was cleared off the line, before Mohamed Salah somehow struck the post rather than converting into a gaping goal.
In the closing seconds, substitute Ousmane Dembele should have made it four, but scuffed his shot into Alisson's hands from a few yards out.
Even without that fourth goal, Liverpool will need to be at their best if they are to progress to their second consecutive Champions League final.
Europa League
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| Photo from BBC Sport |
Alexandre Lacazette's brace helped Arsenal to a 3-1 win over Valencia in the first leg of their Europa League semi-final.
Mouctar Diakhaby had scored with a header earlier on, before the Frenchman converted from a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang pass.
Lacazette scored his second from a Granit Xhaka cross, which was confirmed by the goal-line technology on the referee's watch after Neto got a hand to the ball and stopped it from hitting the back of the net, to give the Gunners a 2-1 lead at half-time.
Lacazette should half had a hat-trick - fluffing a six-yard header and denied twice by Neto in the Valencia goal twice, all in the second period.
But it was Aubameyang who converted late on, volleying home from Sead Kolasinac's cross to the back post in the last minute of regulation time.
Arsenal travel to Valencia for the second leg next Thursday, hoping to avoid a second successive semi-final defeat after losing out to Atletico Madrid last year.
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| Photo from BBC Sport |
Chelsea recovered from an early setback to leave their semi-final with Eintracht Frankfurt all square at the halfway stage.
Pedro scored a vital away goal for the Blues, converting with a low drive from outside the box on the stroke of half-time.
Eintracht had taken the lead through Luka Jovic, their top scorer converted from a Filip Kostic pass.
Maurizio Sarri's team selection had come under scrutiny after he left Eden Hazard on the bench.
But his decision appeared to be vindicated, with the visitors looking closer to scoring, from a David Luiz free kick.
Chelsea now have the most consecutive Europa League matches without defeat at 16, breaking the defending champions' - Atletico Madrid - record set in the 2011/12.
Champions League Draw
Semi-Finals - First Legs
Tottenham Hotspur 0-1 Ajax
Barcelona 3-0 Liverpool
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Europa League Draw
Semi-Finals - First Legs
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Chelsea
Arsenal 3-1 Valencia
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Semi-Finals - First Legs
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Chelsea
Arsenal 3-1 Valencia
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